


Fly Away

by Sugarcon



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Has Panic Attacks, Background Character deaths only, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, But its only mentioned, Could Be Seen As LAMP or DLAMP, Curses, Dragon Remy| Sleep Sanders, Dragon Witch Remy| Sleep Sanders, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Fantasy AU, Fly Away Au, He's forced into servitude but runs away from it, Healer Morality | Patton Sanders, Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, I Wrote It That Way and Each Pairing Has A Moment, King Remus| The Duke, Magic, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, People turned into monsters, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Polysanders - Freeform, Prince Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Royal Advisor Janus, Royal Advisor Logic | Logan Sanders, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Self-Loathing, Servants, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Unsympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Virgil starts Without Wings and he Grows them, Virgil works as a Palace Servant, Whump, Winged Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Winged!Virgil, Witch Remy| Sleep Sanders, You Could Read This With Any Ship In Mind, cursing, explicit language cause Virgil likes to say fuck, for now, monsters eat people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:47:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24871048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugarcon/pseuds/Sugarcon
Summary: There are two kingdoms, The Dark Lands and the Lux Kingdom, both separated by a magical cursed barrier. The ruler of the Dark Lands is a demented man who kills his people for fun and has hexed anyone born there. Around the age of 18, the people of his land grow strange animal like attributes, turning them into monsters. Virgil has just turned 19 and nothing has made an appearance on his body, he decides it's his chance to escape! He becomes a runaway, dead-set on making it to the Lux Kingdom to find a witch to break the dark lands curse so he can save the one man who raised him, Janus. But once he's on the other side he finds he isn't free from the curse like he once thought. Along the way he meets a Healer named Patton, a hot headed Prince Roman, and his Royal Advisor Logan. Will Virgil be able to break the curse and save Janus before the Duke grows bored and decides he no longer needs him?
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Deceit | Janus/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton (Sanders Sides), Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 50
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He stared into the mirror before him intensely, scanning every inch of his body he possibly could in the cracked glass. Nothing. There was nothing but a few scars and blemishes here and there. No snake skin growing over his arms, no fur popping up on his back, not a hint of even the beginnings of a tail to be seen. He was… normal. Virgil’s breath left his lungs in a sigh of relief as he pulled his purple, ragged t-shirt back on followed by his patched together jacket. There was another hole near the hem of his right side that he noted to fix at a later time. Now fully dressed he gave himself another once over before looking at his bag in the corner of the room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: For body horror mentioned, slight blood, explicit language, anxiety and panic attacks, self-hatred, self-loathing  
> If there was anything I missed let me know and I'll add it!  
> Please do mind the tags!!

He stared into the mirror before him intensely, scanning every inch of his body he possibly could in the cracked glass. Nothing. There was nothing but a few scars and blemishes here and there. No snake skin growing over his arms, no fur popping up on his back, not a hint of even the beginnings of a tail to be seen. He was… normal. Virgil’s breath left his lungs in a sigh of relief as he pulled his purple, ragged t-shirt back on followed by his patched together jacket. There was another hole near the hem of his right side that he noted to fix at a later time. Now fully dressed he gave himself another once over before looking at his bag in the corner of the room. 

He had just turned 19 yet his body remained the same. It was unusual, for the place he resided was cursed. The ruler of this forsaken land was a sick man, he had hexed this land and all the people who lived there. By the age of 18, people would start to become monsters. What sort of beast? No one knew until the time came, but it had never failed, until it seemed, today. When Virgil’s 18th birthday had come and gone and no monster-like appendages had formed, he forged a plan. He was going to run.

If he didn’t bear the curse of the dark lands then no one could tell he was born here. If only he could cross the barrier, he’d be free! So he’d mapped it out and found the best trail to get to the border without being caught. Virgil had made a promise to himself. After his 19th birthday, if his body had not begun to morph, he’d take his chance. There were only two problems left he had to handle. 

First, he had yet to tell his childhood friend the news. Virgil never had parents, they died before he could even remember, so he grew up with another boy who was roughly his age, just a year or two older. Janus, his one and only friend, he basically raised him. But at 17, scales had broken out on Janus’ skin, covering half his face, his mouth splitting open to widen and his tongue forked. Virgil remembered that night, it was burned into his mind. Janus had been in so much pain. When Virgil’s curse never came, he knew it would be his chance to get out. There had never been a doubt in his mind that he would run, but there was no way he wouldn’t be coming back for his friend. 

The second problem at hand was Virgil’s current work status. He was a servant to the palace, a dangerous thing to be, though not nearly as dangerous as his snake skinned friend who happened to be none other than the royal advisor. Janus had met the current Ruler when they were both young, they had been friends, but the Ruler became corrupted as his mental health deteriorated and his father was no help. So when the Duke became King, he sought out Janus and gifted him his role. Without a choice in the matter, Virgil followed. He spent his days cleaning blood out of fabric and bringing food to the knights. His only fear was someone would notice his absence after his escape. Hopefully they would believe him dead and not a runaway.

Virgil got to work, shoving whatever he thought he might need into his satchel as night fell over the land. He would not be returning to work the next morning. He knew deep down it would be easier to flee from his small shack on the edge of the palace grounds, but he couldn’t. Not without seeing Janus one last time. The man would worry himself sick if Virgil failed to tell him his plan. 

The servant boy threw the strap of his bag over his shoulder, pushing his brown hair back only for it to fall into his face again. He made his way to his door, looking back at the worn down mattress on the floor, the stolen water damaged books in the corner, and the small crate he kept his old clothes in. Hopefully, he would never see any of this again. He pushed open the door and winced as it creaked, thudding behind him as he stepped out. His boots were heavy on the gravel and he scanned his surroundings. 

Lucky for him the palace grounds were never highly guarded, no one would dare step foot here without a death wish. Virgil glanced up at the steadily rising moon. At this time of night there was only one place Janus would be. 

Hurrying his steps, he made his way into the castle through the servants door in the kitchen. He paused to steal a loaf of bread and a couple of other durable snacks for the road. He snuck into the servants staircase, heading up to the second floor before slipping out into the hall. He tried to calm his breathing but his nerves were shot. If anyone saw him now, they would drag him to the King and who knows what would happen next. Virgil took a deep breath and looked both ways before beginning his trek to the library. Just as he suspected, one of the large wooden doors was cracked open, a light peeking out into the dark hallway. A small, fond smile made its way onto his pale face. He gripped the strap to his satchel and slipped inside.

At an old wooden table sat Janus, a book in hand as he read by candle light. His bowler hat sat on the chair beside him and his yellow gloves lay in his lap. Something tugged at Virgil’s heart at the sight. He didn’t want to leave him, but there was no other way. With a deep breath he stepped forward, his footsteps loud enough to alert the other of his presence. Janus looked up from his book and into the darkness of the library. Virgil made his way into the light with a shy smile and Janus stood quickly, laying his book on the table along with his gloves. 

“Virgil! What on earth are you doing here? It’s not safe at night, you know that.” Janus scolded. Virgil stared down at his feet. Janus had this way of breaking off from his usual smooth sarcasm into a more parental tone when he was worried. Guilt festered in Virgil’s chest at the fretting. 

“I came to warn you.” He said, voice barely above a whisper. He couldn’t force himself to look his friend in the eyes. Janus’ arms fell to his side, brows furrowing. 

“Warn me? What happened? Are you alright?” Janus asked. With each worried question, Virgil’s guilt grew heavier. He looked up, determination glinting in his eyes.

“I’m leaving. Tonight. The curse hasn’t affected me, I waited until 18 and everything but still, nothing. This is my chance! I’m going to the border, Janus.” Virgil explained, voice short and hurried. Janus froze, heart sinking. He reached out and placed his hands on Virgil’s shoulders, holding him as if the boy would disappear if he let go.

“It’s much too dangerous, I won’t allow it.” He responded sternly. Virgil bit his lower lip and stepped back, shaking off Janus’ grip.

“It’s the only way. I’ve planned it out and I’ll be fine, I promise.” Virgil’s grip tightened on his satchel’s strap. “I’ll come back for you! I’ll find a cure for this curse and I’ll come get you. I swear it.” He said sternly. Janus stepped forward, reaching for his friend. 

“Virgil, don’t do this.” The younger man shook his head.

“I have to.” With that, he ran. Virgil slipped through the doors and went straight for the servants stairs. He knew he could trust Janus with this secret, he wouldn’t dare tell. He had always been a good liar after all.

In the library Janus stared at the door, shocked and hurt. Without Virgil it was just him and, he shuddered, the Duke. What would he do? A strange sense of betrayal filled him with sorrow, tears stinging his eyes but refusing to fall. No, Virgil would come back. Janus would just have to believe in him.

Virgil ran down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door. He ran through the gravel, and past his old shack. He didn’t dare look back lest he change his mind. At the edge of the Palace grounds he paused, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He never had been very fit. Suddenly the night air feels cold and stuffy all at once. The world feels like too much and he wished he didn’t have to deal with any of it. He takes a moment to recollect himself, looking up to the cement walls that block the grounds from the village, giving the broken and bent metal gate a once over before stepping towards it. He slips through the bars and it hits him. 

He hasn’t stepped off the Palace grounds since he last went into town with Janus years ago. He can feel the adrenaline now, he’s excited and scared and heartbroken and rebellious all at the same time, it’s dizzying. Virgil pulls his hood up over his head, shoving his hands into his pockets and he follows the road under his feet. The world is quiet, everyone hidden in their homes from the monsters that roam sometimes at night. Some people gave into the curse, let it transform them and take over their minds. They went on rampages, killed people. Some of them even ate their human prey. Virgil shivered, frantically looking around as he stepped, searching for any signs of such beasts.

The night went on, clouds forming up above, swirling around until they burst, rain pouring down in buckets. It was just his luck that he would choose a rainy night to escape. He couldn’t help but feel it was fitting, like a scene from a story book to help set the mood. Unlike in the pages of the stories Janus’ used to read to him, he could feel this. The rainwater soaking into the cotton of his hoodie, seeping through the fabric and sticking to him like glue. It was freezing and painful, the raindrops felt like rocks pelting his skin. The water puddled around him, making its way into his boots and soaking his socks. Any adrenaline from earlier quickly soured as his walk went on. His boots and soaked cloth beneath rubbed at his heels until it stung and a part of him cried out for the bread he stole that would no doubt be soggy in his bag. 

What felt like days but could only have been a few hours later he was nearing the end of town. The buildings grew more and more empty and broken as he went until he could stare out at a sea of rubble that lead to fields and farms in the distance. He sighed, he knew he would need to rest soon, he hadn’t slept well the night prior and he had never walked this far in his life. His feet hurt and his body was sore, he groaned when he heard shuffling suddenly. He tensed, his fight or flight kicking in and he searched for a place to hide. He spotted a large broken down building and made a break for it, hiding behind a broken cement wall. The world was silent again except for the sound of hard rain pelting the ground. 

He took a moment, chest heaving and fear running its course through him before he turned as slowly and quietly as possible. He peered over the rubble to see if he could find what had made the noise. He held his breath in that moment, nails digging into the palms of his hands. He heard that same shuffling noise again and froze. Out across the road was a man, he was on the rounder side, easily in his 50’s, hauling a large bundle of hay into the back of a wagon. Around his neck was a burly amount of fur, it resembled a lion’s mane, dark browns and blonde. Virgil’s shoulders fell as he relaxed a bit. His heart was beginning to calm as he watched this farmer fill his tarp covered wagon with hay, his horse in a nearby stable.

He must be heading out past the fields, if Virgil could sneak into the back, it would save him so much time. _What if he finds me? What if he turns me in? Or he could kill me._ Virgil shook the thought of a 50 something year old man kicking his ass out of his mind, even if he did seem part lion. The man went back into the stable, it was one of the only buildings that was put together out here, no one bothering to manage the chaos from raids. Virgil looked up, the rain was starting to slow. That probably meant the farmer would be leaving soon, he needed to get into that wagon. The man seemed to be fully focused on his horse at the moment so Virgil made his move.

Keeping as low to the ground as he could, he sprinted over to the wagon, hopping into the back and covering himself with the hay. His heart was pounding in his chest, hoping the sounds of rainfall and the horses' neighbors would cover up any noise he made. Virgil just about stopped breathing as he tried to focus all of his attention on the sounds around him, listening for the man. He curled into a ball and held his breath as foot falls became clear as the farmer neared him. There was a snapping sound as the farmer closed the back of the wagon and pulled the tarp down. He walked around the wagon to the stable, the rain barely a drizzle at this point.

“Let’s move out now, wouldn’t wanna worry Calista, now would we?” The man said, obviously speaking to his horse. Virgil didn’t dare relax until the horse was hooked up to the wagon and they were on the move. He knew he should stay awake, but the hay was fairly warm and the sway of the wagon, soothing. His eyes drifted shut until he was out like a light.

Virgil wakes slowly, squeezing his eyes shut tighter as the sun peeks through the gaps between where the tarp is tied and the wagon base. He groans, blinking his dark brown eyes open, not remembering where he was at first. As realization comes back to him he tenses, holding his breath and hoping he hadn’t blown his cover. He’s curled up in the back of the wagon as it continues to sway, the hay having helped to dry his clothes a bit. There’s an aching in the back of his head and his limbs are sore. He turns carefully, lifting the edges of the tarp to look out at where they were. Miles upon miles around them are grassy fields and dirt roads. The sun is high in the sky which means it’s already at least noon at this point. He absently wonders if anyone had come looking for him yet. Or if they ever will. His stomach growls and he wraps his arms around his middle, hoping the driver hadn’t heard the sound. 

He turns, peeking out the front of the wagon at the farmers back, tufts for fur poking out where his button down shirt isn’t fully tucked into his pants. It doesn’t seem like he’s noticed him yet. It doesn’t look like he’s been noticed. He allows the breath he’d been holding go as quietly as possible. He doesn’t have anything he can munch on quietly, so he’ll have to wait it out until he can make a break for it. He goes back to peering out underneath the tarp, watching the world go by. He’s never seen fields in person before, only pictures from the books Janus would sneak out of the library for him.

He doesn’t know how much time has passed by the time the wagon starts to slow, but it felt long. His heart seizes in his chest when the farmer calls for the horse to slow to a stop. Virgil hunches down lower into the hay as the man walks around the wagon. Oh no, had he been caught? Was this it for him? Virgil squeezes his eyes shut, hood pulled over his head and hair hiding his face as the farmer pulls the back tarp up and looks into his bundles of hay.

“This is as far as I take ya, kid. Get on out.” The man says, his voice low and gravely from years of use. Virgil flinches when the man speaks directly to him. He pokes his head out from underneath the hay and they make eye contact, tired light blue eyes look at him and then the man is gesturing with his head for him to hop out. Virgil lowers his gaze and nods, shuffling his way out of the wagon and making sure he still has all his things. He stands by the side of the wagon, heart telling him to run but his head telling him to wait. He stands anxiously. The man looks him over. “I turn left at this ‘ere cross road. If yer lookin for the border it's to the right, couple miles and there's a forest. Head straight through, don’t take the bridge. Guards.” The man says. Despite his advice his voice is not kind. It confuses Virgil and he’s unsure if he should trust him. But at this point he has no other choice. 

“Thank you.” Virgil replies, his voice sounds like a chirp from lack of use and he cringes at it. The man does not acknowledge his reply. 

“I didn’t see ya, now get.” With that the man closes his wagon again and walks around it before sitting on his perch, his horse trotting off. Virgil sighs, the ground beneath him is rocky and the world around him is much too bright. He starts off down the road, keeping to the side as to not end up in anyone’s way. He takes a right at the crossroad like he’d been told, sorting through his satchel as he does. His bread is in fact a soggy disintegrated mess and he drops it in the dirt on the side of the road. He pulls out a bruised apple and bites into it, hoping to ease the growling of his stomach. 

After a couple of hours of continuous walking the heat is starting to get to him. Virgil looks to the sky, confused. The sun has never felt so warm this time of year. Surely enough, clouds are passing by, the sky ever so slightly beginning to turn grey. He shouldn’t feel as warm as he does. He ignores it along with the ever present headache building behind his eyes. 

The sun has set and the moon is shining once again. Virgil tended to feel more at ease at night, but he found that wasn’t the case tonight. He’d spent the rest of the day walking, dragging his feet through the dirt despite the ache in his legs. His water was nearly gone, and his food was already getting low. He hummed to himself, a tune with no words. The night breeze felt cool against his feverish skin. Knowing his luck, he might have caught something, though he thought a sickness from the rain was merely a story book phenomenon. 

He wanted to sleep. His mind kept yelling at him to _sleep._ But he didn’t have shelter. Not yet, just a little farther. Up ahead he could see the tops of trees and he promised himself he’d rest once he made it there. His humming ceased as well as his walking. He squeezed his eyes shut, bringing his hands up to grip his hair and he groaned in pain. His head was _pounding_ , and his legs wouldn’t _move._

“Come ON!” He shouted into the empty dark world around him, banging one of his fists into his upper thigh. “I’m almost there. Move!” He shouted in frustration. Despite his efforts, with his next step, his legs collapsed beneath him. He threw his head back, hood falling off as he stared at the sky. Anger and irritation twisted within him. He was so close. “Fine. A small break then.” He spoke to himself. So there he sat on the edge of the road, resting his tired body from his trek. He certainly wasn’t made for travel. 

Eventually his legs would move again and he stood. He wobbled for a moment but held his ground in the end. His walk continued and he made it to the woods within the hour. The world feels different when surrounded by trees. Virgil’s shoulders and back are tight as he walks through the woods, scraping his previous thoughts of rest as unease settles into his stomach. The trees around him are tall and thin. They grow in bunches and he feels surrounded. Virgil pulls his hoodie tighter around him, searching for any comfort it might provide. The sounds are different, too. He hears crows squawking and wind rustling the leaves. He pauses, he can hear water. The farmer had mentioned a bridge, right? So he should follow the water. There was a large lake between the land and the barrier, he’d seen it on his map before the rain had gone and ruined it. 

The bridge would have guards so he’d have to take another way. His original plan was to trek around the lake, but that would take at least another day and with his legs tiring so quickly, he wasn’t sure it would be possible. He’d have to cross. He hurried his steps, the sound of running water getting closer. A river ran through the forest and spilled into that lake. He knew for sure he was close. 

His rushed steps turned into jogging before he found himself running through the trees. Something in him was telling him to hurry and he was tired of not listening to himself. His boots dug up the damp mud underneath his feet, he splashed through puddles, dampening the bottoms of his jeans all over again, he pushed through branches, his lungs burning before he came to a sudden halt. He stood on the edge of a clearing, the mud turning into rocks and the trees pulling back. Water pooled near his feet, still and silent, the moon's image bouncing off it. This was the lake. He took a couple steps back, hiding back in the woods. To his right far off into the distance was the bridge, a group of guards standing in it’s center talking to one another. There was no way he’d make it past them. He looked back to the water again, fear curdling in his throat. He would have to swim.

Panic was building in his chest and he tried his best to wrangle it. Water like this was dark, he couldn’t see the bottom. There could be anything in the water, especially with the kind of place he lived in. His breathing was beginning to quicken and he started counting. He could do this. Just swim across, it was only a mile long, maybe a little longer? He could just barely make out the other side. Trees lining the other side and just past that was the border, he could see it’s faint blue glow from here. He took a couple deep breaths, shaking out his hands before starting to step into the water. The first step the lake pooled around his ankle. 

“You can do this Virgil, you’ve got it.” He whispered to himself, eyes glancing at the bridge to make sure he went unnoticed. He continued on, stepping further in until he was up to his waist, his arms hovering above the surface. He whimpered. He really hated this. With his next time he had to hold back a scream as he fully submerged under the surface, not expecting such a sudden drop off. He poked his head out, pushing his hair away from his eyes and kicking his feet to stay afloat. 

He swam as fast and as quietly as he could, trying desperately not to think about whatever could be lurking beneath him. He doggy paddled until his arms were sore and then paddled some more. Every so often looking back to the bridge that felt so far away. He thought he might not make it to the other side, it didn’t feel like it was getting any closer. His headache was growing worse by the minute and he felt he had swallowed enough water to fill a tub. The moment his foot touched the bottom again was a relief he’d never felt before in his life. He was almost there, this was the home run. 

He waded through the water, so close to the shore when he heard a splash behind him. He held back a screech as he turned to see the fin of something disappear. Fear and adrenaline instantly filled his blood stream. He tried to go faster but the water slowed him down. He reached for land, just as his waist left the water something wrapped around his ankle. He couldn’t back his scream this time and it echoed through the night before he was cut off by water filling his throat. He kicked at whatever grabbed him, breaking free and crawling even closer to land. Rocks dug into his knees and hands as he scrambled for purchase, but that thing was back on his ankle, screeching and yanking. He fell onto his back, looking at the creature. He knew in the back of his mind it used to be a person, it’s skin shiny and dark like the water itself. Its eyes glowed, black and dead, a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth screaming at him as it wrapped its webbed, clawed hand around his ankle. It was going to kill him, or worse, eat him. 

It’s knife-like claws stabbed into his calf right above his boot and he yelled in pain, pulling himself onto land and dragging the monster with him, showing more and more of its deformed body. Tears sprang to Virgil’s eyes as he kicked the thing in its face and it released him with a blood curdling screech. Virgil hurried to his feet, hissing at the pain in his calf. The wound was sluggishly bleeding, his jeans torn. 

“You! Stop in the name of the King!” Virgil’s eyes widened as he looked to the bridge. The guards had heard his fight, they were coming for him. He needed to run. He made a break for it, rushing away from the water and to the woods. He ran past the trees, his chest aching and his leg screaming. He could see the barrier. If he could just cross, the guards wouldn’t follow. It was a death trap for them. He could hear their armor clanking behind him. Tears poured down his cheeks. He was so fucking close, he wouldn’t stop here. 

He tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. He groaned, hurrying to his feet again despite his scraped palms and knees. “Stop!” The guards screamed at him, but their words were nothing compared to Virgil’s heart in his ears. The border came into view, a wall of pulsing blue magic glowing softly. He just had to step over. He turned to look at the guards, at the surprise on their faces before he turned back. Virgil ran through the barrier.

.

.

.

_“What is your name?” A voice asked. The world was dark around him, he couldn’t see anything._

_“Virgil.” He responded. His voice didn’t feel like his own. The voice echoed in his ears._

_“Tell me who you hate most in this world, Virgil.” There were so many things that came to mind. Monsters, the King, the curse, the world, even. “I can read your heart. Do not lie to me, who do you hate most?” Virgil didn’t know what to say. Who? His mouth moved on its own. If there was one person he could never forgive it was-_

_“Myself.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please leave a comment as they really motivate and inspire me to write more. Let me know your favorite line or quote perhaps? Constructive criticism is always appreciated as well!  
> Until next time~  
> Sugarcon


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darkness surrounds him, a voice echoing around inside his head. He blinks and he’s back in the real world, stumbling over his own feet as he skids to a stop on the other side of the barrier. He gasps for breath, dizzy and exhausted. He turns to the glowing blue wall and watches the guards on the other side halt as they grow near. They wouldn’t dare cross like he had. There was a reason the lux kingdom didn’t have guards stationed here, it was because they knew. Anyone born of the dark lands who dared to cross this barrier would be hexed, but no one actually knew what it did. Even now, Virgil was unsure. He felt the same, nothing new hurt. He took a moment to let it all sink in. He had done it, he’d crossed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please mind the tags, if you see anything I should mark as a trigger warning, let me know and I'll add one

Darkness surrounds him, a voice echoing around inside his head. He blinks and he’s back in the real world, stumbling over his own feet as he skids to a stop on the other side of the barrier. He gasps for breath, dizzy and exhausted. He turns to the glowing blue wall and watches the guards on the other side halt as they grow near. They wouldn’t dare cross like he had. There was a reason the lux kingdom didn’t have guards stationed here, it was because they knew. Anyone born of the dark lands who dared to cross this barrier would be hexed, but no one actually knew what it did. Even now, Virgil was unsure. He felt the same, nothing  _ new _ hurt. He took a moment to let it all sink in. He had done it, he’d crossed. He was free! 

“You’ll never last over there you wretch!” One of the guards shouted at him. A laugh bubbled up out of his chest. 

“I did it! Fuck yes!” He threw his arms up, jumping and hollering. He never thought he’d make it this far. Not someone like him. His smile was wide but the light in his eyes was fading as his world began to fade. He tripped over his own feet, wobbling for a moment before finding his footing again and putting a hand to his head. He blinked, trying to shake away the fogginess. He still needed to find help before he passed out, lest he die at the border like a fool. He looked to the sky. “Come on, come on, come o- there!” He could see the smoke from what had to be a campfire in the distance. He knew the kingdom wouldn’t be so defenseless as to leave the border completely unmanaged. 

Virgil adjusted his soaked bag, his hoodie clinging to his thin frame and his hair messily pushed out of his face. He was having enough trouble seeing clearly as is. He let his smile fade as he grew too tired to keep it up and began chanting to himself. It was something Janus had taught him, something he had been forced to learn in case he were ever to encounter a luxion guard. “I was taken in the last raid, please help.” He repeated it over and over, fearful that he might not be able to think properly by the time he arrived at the campsite.

As he grew near, the noises grew louder. People talking, laughing by fire light. The thought of warmth was appealing. He’s been cold for so long. “...t-taken in the last…” He continued, voice barely above a whisper as his adrenaline high ended. 

“I hear something.” One of the guards said. Their armor was of golds and reds, the light of the fire reflected in their chest plates. They stood tall, hands on their swords. Virgil stumbled into the campsite, falling to his knees. “It’s just a boy. Wait, you don’t think he crossed over, do you?” One of the men said. 

“Taken in the raid...help…” Virgil tried to get out, but his body refused to cooperate and he fell forward into the arms of a stranger. 

“He needs medical help. We should bring him back to the castle.” Said the woman who currently held the boy to her armored chest. “Quickly, you two set up the wagon and my horse, and you, check him for any signs of the curse. If he shows any dark traits we’ll have to,” She looks down to him, a sadness in her eyes. “We’ll have to send him back. As soon as he’s cleared, we’ll take him to the healer.” Two of the guardsmen nodded in confirmation and began her horse. The other gently took the boy from her to check him over. His eyes caught the bleeding wound on the boy's calf.

“Captain, are you sure the castle healer will be able to help?” He questioned, slipping off the boy's hoodie to check his torso for anything inhuman. The woman stood, taking off her helmet and brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear. She smiled as she spoke. 

“Oh yeah, Patton can heal just about anything.”

Virgil groaned, his eyes barely opening before he was shutting them again. The room was much too bright. His eyes shot open. Room? He didn’t dare move, trying to recall what had happened. He remembered passing the barrier and spotting the campfire. His mind was foggy but there had been a woman in gold, he thought. He didn’t die, did he? Was this hell? His face was currently smooshed against a white fluffy pillow, something he was pretty certain wouldn’t exist in hell. 

That’s right, he was in a bed. An extremely soft bed, a comfortable blanket draped over him. He was laying on his stomach, arms and hands bunched underneath his torso like he always slept. Suddenly he didn’t want to move. He’d never been in a bed like this. One that made you not want to get up in a good way. But alas, he was unsure of the dangers in the room and therefore, sitting up was necessary. He pushed off the bed, feeling the mattress dip under his added weight. He winced, hissing as a pain near his shoulder blades spiked. 

“Are you alright?” Virgil practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of a stranger's voice nearby. He definitely  _ didn’t _ squeak in response. Virgil was now sitting on the bed, back almost to the wall, having picked up his pillow in defense to shield himself. “I’m sorry kiddo, I didn’t mean to scare ya.” Said the voice. It was a soothing sound in his ears. He peered over the pillow to see who was speaking.

A tall man stood in the room before him, smiling kindly in his direction. He wore a white sort of trench coat that synched at his waist with a leather belt. Underneath was a soft blue button up tucked into light khaki pants that were rolled up at the ankle to show striped blue socks and leather low cut boots. He was wearing latex gloves and held a clipboard in his hands, glasses with chunky black frames resting on his nose. His cheeks were freckled and his eyes matched his shirt. Virgil felt incredibly at ease in his presence and it was startling. 

“My name’s Patton! It’s nice to meet you. Do you think I could get your name?” He asked, leaning over to better make eye contact, soft curls of light brown hair bouncing on his head. Virgil opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. If all the people on this side of the border looked like this it was going to be a problem. Patton cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Can you not talk? Or maybe you don’t, are you mute?” Virgil opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. “Perhaps you can’t hear me.” Patton smiled again, moving to hold his clipboard under his arm and then making strange symbols with his hands. 

“I can talk!” Virgil suddenly shouted, causing the man before him to jump just slightly, eyes widening for a moment before his expression softened again. “I mean, I can hear you… too.”  _ Great job, Virgil, that was an awesome first impression.  _ He thought to himself sarcastically. He dropped the pillow into his lap, fiddling with it as he was uncertain of what to say next. 

“Well that’s good! My sign language is a little rusty, I’ve been meaning to start practicing again. So, can you tell me your name, kiddo?” Patton asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down, crossing one of his legs over his knee with a pen at the ready on his clipboard. Virgil looked up for only a second, glancing back down as a strange nervousness filled him. He didn’t talk to many people.

“V-Virgil. My name is Virgil. I was taken in the last raid, but I got away.” He explained, the phrase coming out on instinct. Patton hummed, jotting something down on his paper. 

“That’s what Cassandra told me. Oh! She’s the guard that brought you here. One of the guards checked for any of the dark lands curse on you, as did I, but we couldn’t find anything. The last raid was quite some time ago, almost 10 years in fact, you must have been very young.” Patton said with a distant sadness in his tone. Virgil nodded. He felt guilty for his lie all of a sudden. “Well, you’re here now! That’s what matters.” Virgil gripped the pillowcase.

“And… where is here?” He asked, glancing around the room at the various medical supplies on tables as well as a messy desk in the corner and another bed on the other side of the room identical to his own. Patton tapped his pen against his clipboard.

“Right! This is the castle medical ward! I’m the royal healer, we’re glad to have you heal.” Patton looked at him expectantly but Virgil only cringed inwardly at the pun. The other man laughed at his own joke before standing again and coming closer. “On the subject of healing, let's talk about your injuries.” Patton began pacing in front of Virgil’s bed, reading over the info on his clipboard. “When you got here you were unconscious and malnourished. You had a lot of lake water in your system though, I’m assuming it was lake water from the sample on your jacket.” 

Virgil glanced down to see he was in fact without his hoodie. He was in a white t-shirt and baggy white pants held on by a ribbon at his waist. He suddenly felt very exposed. 

“You had an injury on your calf which I cleaned and disinfected, it’s healing quite nicely I gotta say. Oh, you had a crazy fever. Luckily I was able to bring it down. Cass thought it might’ve been from walking around soaked to the bone, but from the sort of sickness it was, you were bound to come down with it eventually even if you’d been hauled up at home.” Virgil groaned, that was his bad luck for sure. “You’ve been asleep for a couple of days, you must be pretty hungry. I’ll have someone bring you something. You’re pretty much all better! Your calf will be healed in a day or two and you're not sick anymore, are you feeling any pain? Dizziness?”

Virgil took that moment to assess himself and any damage. His calf was sore but that was to be expected. He was definitely hungry, but after the initial dizziness from his surroundings, his head felt fine. He held back a whimper. “My back aches a bit. I think I fell on it.” Patton hummed, jotting down a reminder. “Um, where are my clothes?” Virgil asked. He tried not to think too hard on the fact people he didn’t know had not only undressed him, but examined him and dressed him in something that wasn’t his own. Patton’s back straightened as he remembered something. He pointed at Virgil with the pen suddenly, the injured boy flinching back at the action. Patton brought the pen back to himself.

“Sorry. Your clothes were pretty dirty and wet so I had them washed.” Patton set his clipboard and pen on the messy desk before walking over to one of the cabinets in the room and opening it to reveal a bundle of folded clothes. “Your jacket had a couple tears so I had it fixed, I couldn’t save your shirt but I found a purple long sleeve in town though so I hope it fits!” Patton handed Virgil the clothes before placing his heavy boots near the bed. “I’ll leave to get you some food while you change. Though I could check your back before I go?” Virgil shook his head. He didn’t want anymore people looking at him. Patton nodded with a smile. “It was nice to meet you Virgil, I’ll be back soon.” With that Patton picked up his clipboard and walked out, closing the door behind him. Virgil stared at the closed door for a moment, listening to the footfalls of the healer as he got further away. Once the world was silent to him again he stood. There was an itch under skin, the foreign clothes making him feel uncomfortable as he yearned for the safety of his hoodie. He stripped the white shirt off and threw it onto the bed before quickly grabbing the shirt and pulling it over his head. The fabric was warm and smelled new. At least what Virgil assumed ‘new’ to smell like. He wasted no time in pulling his jacket back on, zipping it all the way up before pulling his hood over his head and shoving his hands into his pockets.

He hummed, melting into the comfort of familiarity. He allowed himself this moment of ease. A moment later he was changing into his newly ripped jeans and thankfully not-wet socks, shoving his feet into his boots and tucking his jeans inside the tops. Fully dressed in his dark apparel he looked around the room. He had a decision to make, either he made a quick escape, or wait for Patton’s return. He had a mission after all. He needed to find someone who knew curse breaking magic so he could return for Janus in the dark lands. He didn’t want to leave him alone there for too long. 

Virgil stepped forth into the room, scanning the door before his gaze landed on the nearby window. What floor was he on? Patton had said he was the castle healer but there was no way these soldiers would really bring an unknown refugee into the kingdoms palace. Would they? Virgil pushed back the white curtain to look out the window. The sun was bright and the sky was the bluest he had ever seen. The ground was pretty far, definitely the third floor of this building at least. Looking out he could see a tall wall similar to the crumbling one near his king’s castle. These people really did bring him to the castle. What fools. He could be attempting to kill the prince, even though he wasn’t, he could be! 

He shook the thoughts from his head, that wasn’t important right now. He searched for a latch on the window, finding and unlocking it before pushing it open. The air was fresh and cool, nothing like the other side. He looked down to the ground again. Yeah, there was no way he could get out this way. He heard a sound behind him followed by a voice. “Virgil? Are you getting some air?” It was Patton again, back with a tray in hand. Virgil turned and leaned back against the window sill. 

“Yeah, just a little stuffy in here.” He responded. Looks like he was staying. Patton kicked the door closed behind him and approached the other. It was easier to see how tall Patton was now, Virgil’s head only reaching just below his chin.  _ ‘He’s taller than Janus’ _ He thought absentmindedly. Patton grinned at him and it made Virgil feel a strange bout of nervousness. 

“I brought you something to eat, the cooks are preparing dinner right now and I didn’t want to get in the way so I just made you a turkey sandwich. I brought up some juice as well, I hope that’s alright?” He said. Virgil pulled at the hem of one of his sleeves as he looked at the tray, his stomach growling just at the thought of food. He nodded quickly and Patton’s grin somehow grew. “Wonderful! I’ll set it down here for ya.” Patton set the tray on his desk before pulling out an unfoldable table and propping it near the bed. He brought the tray to the table before setting it down and pulling his desk chair over. He looked to Virgil expectantly.

Virgil stared back confused before he realized Patton was waiting for him to sit. He quickly made his way to the bed, sitting on the edge with his hands in his lap. He paused, staring at the food and trying not to drool. No one had made him something to eat since he was 12, he’d always been expected to fend for himself. He was so hungry. “Am I allowed to eat now?” He asked, curious as to why Patton hadn’t given him permission. The healer looked surprised for a moment before a strange look of realization hit him. 

“Of course, yes. Go ahead kiddo!” Patton said. Pain tugged at his heart. Someone had made this boy wait to eat even when he was starving? He made a mental note to try and do better on the proportions of Virgil’s future meals. 

Virgil nodded, digging in as soon as he was given the ok. Patton was grabbing his clipboard again and Virgil held back a groan. More questions. He really didn’t enjoy lying but if this guy kept digging he wasn’t going to have much of a choice. 

“So Virgil, we were all pretty surprised when Cass brought you here and said you came across the border. No one’s ever been able to come back before, at least no one without combat training.” Patton started. “Can you tell me what it was like over there?” Virgil swallows down a bite of his food and hums. What should he say?

“I don’t really remember much.” Should he tell him he worked in the castle? “I pretty much grew up over there. A good friend of mine took care of me.” He said. Patton scribbled on his paper. 

“What about the raid? Your family?” Patton didn’t mention that he checked their archives. No one reported anyone by the name ‘Virgil’ had been taken or gone missing. Virgil shook his head. 

“I can’t remember any of it. I don’t have any family, not that I can think of anyway, so there was no one to really remember in the first place.” That wasn’t a total lie. He really didn’t have a family and he wasn’t a part of the raid so there wasn’t a way for him to remember it. Virgil drank some of the juice. It was sweet. 

“Trouble with your memory, huh? That could be a couple things, I’ll look into it.” Patton responded. He waited for Virgil to finish eating before continuing. “Here’s my plan. Let me introduce you to a pal of mine and he might be able to hook you up with a job. That way you can work on getting your feet on the ground.” Patton said, rolling his chair back to his desk to place the clipboard down. Virgil gulped down the rest of his juice. A job? He didn’t really need a job. “He’s probably in the castle library.” Patton tacked on. Virgil’s eyes widened. The library! Maybe he could find some info on any witches in this kingdom. Someone who could break this curse. He needed to get into that library. “I’ll talk to him for a bit, you should rest until at least tomorrow before I let you out of here. Try and sleep a bit more and let me know if anything is bothering you.” Patton picked up the now empty tray to bring back to the kitchen. 

Virgil agrees. His body is still aching and tired. Might as well rest for one more night. Once Patton leaves again Virgil slips off his boots and lays back in the bed, pulling the blanket over his head. He slips off to sleep easy that afternoon.

Patton comes back to his office later that day. He’d spent quite a bit of time trying to set up a job opportunity with Logan and Prince Roman but he had things all sorted at this point. Patton pulled a sucker out of one of his coat pockets, feeling he deserved a treat after dinner. Logan has asked him if he was stressed earlier and it nagged at the back of his mind. Stressed? Maybe a little. Patton was one of the few healers in town, and one of only two that were trusted inside the castle. He luckily didn’t have too many patients at a time as everyone was relatively safe in the castle grounds, but patients like Virgil were always the hardest. People with trauma riddled minds caused his heart to break. He wanted everyone to just be alright. 

He slips into the office, trying his darndest to be silent. The room is dark but the window is still open from earlier. Patton makes his way over to close it, using the moonlight pouring in to assist his sight. He flinches at the loud sound the window makes as he shuts it, turning to look over at the bed where Virgil lay asleep. He pulls the candy stick from his mouth and tosses it into the trash nearby before stepping over to the bed. Virgil is laying on his side, facing the wall, hood pulled up and hands in his pockets. The blanket he was under must have slipped to his waist. Patton reaches out and pushes Virgil’s bangs back, leaning over the boy to check his temperature. He wouldn’t want his fever coming back. He finds he doesn’t feel overly warm and pulls back, pulling the blanket gently over Virgil’s sleeping form. 

He’s mumbling incoherently in his sleep but it doesn’t sound like a nightmare. The first night Virgil had spent here was terrifying and he’d filled the room with screams. Patton wiped the memory from his mind, he didn’t enjoy thinking about it. “...Janus…” Patton smiled softly as a name made itself clear amongst the resting boys mumbles. Virgil had repeated that name a few times before and Patton wondered if this ‘Janus’ fella was the ‘good friend’ Virgil had mentioned earlier. Feeling relieved now that he knew his patient was doing alright, he made to leave. His sleeping quarters were right next door so he could hear for any emergency, for now though he needed some rest of his own. 

Virgil woke the next morning, sitting up and yawning. It had been so long since he didn’t feel tired that he thought something might be wrong for a second. He stretched his arms over his head. “Ow!” He hissed, feeling his back pulse with a bit of pain. He was likely bruised. He dropped his hands into his lap and pushed his hood down. He felt… great! Ready to conquer his task of finding a curse breaker. He slid off the bed and stood, taking a few steps and assessing his body to check for any other signs of pain beside the ache in his back. He was all good.  _ Things are going too well, somethings bound to go wrong. _ He thought with a grimace. He looked to the window again, finding it had been closed. Possibly Patton had visited while he was out? 

Outside the sun had just come up over the land, still early morning then. He felt restless, too much energy in his body and nothing to do with it. He played with a loose thread inside his pocket. Would he get in trouble if he tried to leave? He still needed access to the library after all. He cautiously crossed the room to the door, eyeing the doorknob as if it might burn him if he touched it. He pulled a hand from his pocket and reached out for it, slowly. Just as he had placed his hand on the cool metal it turned on his own and he startled, jumping back away from it instinctively. He looked up, expecting to see Patton entering on cue like he always seemed to do but instead he made eye contact with someone new. 

“Hello.” Said the man as he made his way into the room. He was also tall, was everyone tall here? But not as tall as Patton, Virgil made it to his nose at least. His hair was a darker shade of brown and was neatly slicked back, his eyes as dark as black coffee and his glasses the same frame as the healer he knew. He was wearing a black turtleneck underneath a low collared navy blue coat that was secured at the waist by a white sash. It was held closed with six shiny silver buttons running down the chest. The coat tails split at the back to show his black slacks tucked into navy boots just below his knee. He looked like a bookworm at first glance but his coat was tight around his arms and his shoulders and chest were broad. Virgil found he was intimidated both mentally and physically at this man’s appearance. 

“My name is Logan, I am Prince Roman’s royal advisor. I assume you must be Virgil? Patton has spoken about you previously, it’s a pleasure.” Logan gave a curt nod and Virgil straightened his posture under his gaze. He nodded in response, afraid his voice might break if he used it and he didn’t dare sound like a fool in front of someone new. Logan closed the door behind him and glanced about the room. “Patton seems to still be asleep. I told him to retire early last night but I doubt he listened. Nevertheless, I have a proposition for you.” Virgil wondered if this was about the job Patton had mentioned before. Logan crossed his arms over his chest, pressing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

“Patton informed me you haven’t any family you know of and therefore have nowhere to go,” Virgil winced at the blunt information. “I have made arrangements for you to stay here and work in the castle until you are able to leave and sustain yourself on your own. There is a room set up for you in the servants hall. If you so choose to stay, you would be cleaning, perhaps helping in the kitchen or assisting Patton. Work hours are 5am to 9pm, you will be paid hourly and provided 3 meals a day as well as access to the servants bath and showers. Of course this choice is up to you.” Logan listed off all the information so smoothly and quickly it almost made Virgil dizzy. A palace servant, huh? Just like back on the other side. Though from the sounds of it, being a servant here was pretty luxurious in comparison to what he used to do. 

“That sounds pretty great, actually.” He replied, shoulders falling as he relaxed a bit. The smallest of smiles graced Logan’s lips. 

“Wonderful. I’ll let Stacya know that you have agreed. She is our head servant here and would be more than willing to show you the ropes.” Logan said, turning to make his leave.

“Wait! Uh, quick question. Am I stuck here? Or can I leave when I want?” Virgil asked. If they were going to hold him in the castle forever until they decided he was ready to go, that was going to be a problem. Logan turned to look over his shoulder. 

“You’re free to quit whenever you’d like, though I’m sure Patton would prefer you stay for a while.” Logan answered. Virgil nodded, looking away. Patton was a good person. They all seemed to be.  _ If only they knew how terrible I actually am. I’m a liar. _ Virgil bit his lower lip. 

“I must take my leave, Patton will be here shortly, he’ll introduce you to Stacya.” With that, Logan disappeared behind the door. Virgil was really starting to hate this room. He sighed, looking up to the ceiling. If he was working here that would give him more time to get into the library and look around. He’d have to go when no one else would be there. Maybe sneak in at night. That would be his best bet. 

Through-out the rest of the day Virgil met and spoke to  _ a lot _ of new people. Patton comes by and apologizes for sleeping in. Virgil explains that he met Logan and they talked about him starting a serventry job. Patton seems rather excited when he tells him he decided to stay for a while. Patton takes him down to the first floor where the other maids and servants stay, a hall of smaller bedrooms are on that floor along with the laundry room, servants bath and showers, and the servants kitchen. It’s all much nicer than the stuff back at The Duke’s palace, he has to admit. He wonders what Janus would think of all this. 

Stacya is a very kind woman. She’s the first person Virgil meets who’s actually shorter than him. She’s got fiery orange hair that’s pulled back into a tight bun to keep her curls in check. Her skin is tanned from the sun and her eyes are almost as blue as Patton’s. Her face is round and her smile is sweet. She tells Virgil about the jobs he’ll likely be given in more detail than Logan had, and then sets him up with a uniform. Patton is soon pulled away by the only other healer in the castle. A beautiful dark skinned woman with a strong jaw and passionate gaze by the name of Jada. 

Stacya shows Virgil his room, a small bedroom with a window and fresh white curtains, a bed in the corner and a desk opposite it. There isn’t much walking space but it’s cozy and he likes it. There’s a full length mirror on the back of the door as well. She waits for him outside as he changes into his uniform. He pulls on a white button down and rolls the sleeves up to his elbows, followed by black slacks that he tucks into his usual black boots. He pulls on the steel grey vest with black lining and looks himself over. It’s definitely not his style. He glances at his hoodie on the bed. Stacya knocks and he lets her in. She compliments him on his appearance but he shrugs at it. 

“Is there… anyway I could bring my jacket with me?” He asked, avoiding her gaze. 

“Are you cold?” She asks, her voice naturally carrying a motherly tone. Virgil shakes his head. 

“No, but it’s more of a...”  _ comfort thing. _ Is what he wants to say but stops himself. Stacya smiles and walks over to the bed. She picks up his jacket and holds it by the sleeves. She yanks it around his waist and ties it in a double knot. 

“Don’t let it fall off and don’t let it get in your way.” She says it like a demand and he nods quickly, feeling a little better now that he can keep it with him. She leads him around the first floor, before giving him a tour of the second and third floors as well as a map of the servant stairs hidden throughout the building as shortcuts. He folds the map up and places it into his front pocket. 

As they’re touring the second floor Virgil’s eyes land on two large double doors at the end of the hall very similar to the library doors in the dark lands palace. The fact the two buildings hold so many similarities makes him feel uneasy. “Those doors lead to the library. That room is off limits unless you are asked to dust inside. All the rooms in the east wing are also off limits unless you are requested to one, that’s where the royal family sleeps as well as the royal advisors. The west wing is where the healers stay up on the third floor but you’ve already been there. A lot of the guards also stay here at the castle, just the ones who are close to the Prince or work long hours like the Captain Cassandra. But I believe she stays here to be close with her partner Jada.” Stacya giggles at her last comment. “Those two are so sweet.” She hums. Virgil nods. The library is off limits, huh? 

“What are the hours? For the library and kitchen and things? Sometimes I have trouble sleeping so I was hoping I could walk around, but I don’t want to go anywhere I shouldn’t.” He feels like all he’s been doing lately is lying. They’re leaving the second floor now to go back to the servants hall. 

“The royal kitchen closes after dinner is cleaned up. The servants kitchen closes at 11pm sharp. The library is closed by Logan at 10pm and opened at 6am when he drinks his morning coffee and reads. Every floor is closed after 11pm, including the front part of the first fall but the servants hall is always open to pace through. The gardens are also open. Prince Roman likes to stargaze every now and again.” She rattles off. Virgil takes note in his head. If he snuck into the library at midnight, he could read for a couple hours and get out before anyone noticed he was there. They were back in the servants hall. “It’s almost lunch time, I’ll start you off easy. All maids and servants should be dressed and ready for duty standing outside their door at 4:45 and no later. I’ll walk down and list tasks and assign some to certain people. For today though you’re going to start off simple.”

Virgil was already pretty tired from walking around the whole castle and he tried not to groan at the idea of more work. Being a servant for The Duke was easier, he would give him crazy tasks and watch him fail a few times before letting him go. Or he would be assigned to laundry for a few hours, maybe tidy up a room or two. This was a lot more put together. For the rest of the day Virgil met some other servants and maids and helped with any errands or random tasks they could think off. He skipped lunch but had dinner around 10:30. Just some fruit and half a sandwich.

When he finally retires to his room he’s not sure he’ll be able to stay awake long enough to sneak into the library. His limbs hurt, his wound on his calf throbs a bit and his back is not feeling too great. Virgil strips off his vest and button down, leaving them on the bed nicely. Before he takes the time to change into his regular clothes he decides to check for bruising. He turns his back to the long mirror on his door, straining to look over his shoulder. It’s hard to see but over his shoulder blades his skin is bright red. It looks a bit like a rash but it doesn’t itch. He’s not sure what that could possibly be. 

He clicks his tongue as he turns back to grab his purple shirt that Patton had bought him. Maybe he’ll have him look at it after all.  _ You wouldn’t want to bother him though. He might start to show how much he hates you. _ Virgil shakes his head, ignoring those unpleasant thoughts. He discards his shoes and slacks, folding his uniform nicely before climbing into bed. He still isn’t used to how soft the mattresses are here, the springs didn’t poke him and nothing was torn. The pillows still had all their stuffing in them and the blankets didn’t smell moldy or damp. He pulls his jacket into his arms, deciding not to wear it as he feels a bit warm with the heavy blanket on him, so he cuddles it instead. He drifts off, too tired to remember the library.

Virgil scolds himself the following day when he wakes up a little after 4 am to an alarm in the servants hall. He’d slept the whole night! He’d been assigned to Patton that day, to help him with anything he might need and then he would be doing laundry in the afternoon. The whole morning he yelled at himself inside his mind. How could he sleep so peacefully when Janus was still suffering under the rule of the Duke. He promised he would accomplish his goal that night instead. 

He continues on like this for almost two weeks. He wakes up to the servants alarm, gets dressed, gets his assignment and then he’s off. Sometimes he manages to get something to eat first but he’s too slow in the morning to do so everyday. He’s mostly helped Patton in the morning, given the task of polishing armor or washing clothes in the afternoon. His arms are always sore. He still hasn’t asked Patton to examine his back and he doesn’t think he will in the end, even though the freckled man asks him about any pain every other day. 

At night he paces in his room until the clock on the wall above his desk strikes 12. He sneaks quietly into the hall and through the servants stairs. Though the palace is eerie at night when all is silent. He tries to do this as much as possible, there are just so many books to look through. Logan never locks the door and Virgil isn’t sure why. He slips in through the double doors and lights a candle. The library is huge with shelves and shelves of books about anything and everything. Virgil sticks to the magic section, specifically the rather small section on witches and wizards as well as magical places in the world. He’s been searching through the books as much as possible, yet still nothing. 

Stacya had started to notice the bags under his eyes growing and he was becoming more sluggish. He told her it was merely nightmares, that he couldn’t sleep well. She had suggested he see Jada or Patton about them but obviously he couldn’t do that. He felt so guilty, making these people fret over him. He was terrible. Despite this here he was now, slowly walking up the servants stairs to the second floor a little past midnight. Two weeks of being treated so kindly and he was going behind their backs and breaking the rules. But it was for someone important to him. 

Virgil was in his casual clothes, hood pulled up over his head. He slowly opened the door to the second floor, it was a small door hidden in a corner so as to not upset the decor of the hall. He crept through the dark, finding his eyes adjusted rather well to it anyway. This way if someone was coming with any light he’d see it immediately. He walked slowly down to the end of the hall and painfully slowly he opened one of the large doors just enough to slip inside. There were a few tables, one of them had a hand held candle on it with a box of matches. He assumed they belonged to Logan. He lit one of the matches, wincing at the sound echoing in the room and lit the candle, using his hand to block some of the light. 

He made his way to his corner of the library with the books he had been searching through. He carefully set the candle on the floor away from the shelves and books so as to not set anything on fire, a truly dangerous game. He dragged his finger over the spines of the leather bound books, reading them and mouthing the words as he went. He found the one he’d stopped with yesterday and pulled it out. “Magick people and places” is what it was called. He scans the chapter index, looking for what he needs. 

He spends quite a bit of time in there, getting lost in the words. He’s grown comfortable with his ability to sneak around unnoticed and therefore becomes careless. He isn’t listening carefully. Logan comes to the library that night. He’s been noticing things out of place lately and he believes someone might be sneaking in after hours. When he arrives and finds the door ajar and a small light inside he knows his assumption is correct. Like always. He opens the door trying to be quiet as to not disrupt the perpetrator. He walks calmly towards the light. He’s not sure what he was expecting but a small boy in a ragged hood with his nose in a book about magic is not it. 

“Virgil? What on earth are you doing?” Logan asks.Virgil startles, slamming the book closed and starting to scream only for it to turn into a tiny squeak when he realizes he shouldn’t be loud. He looks up at Logan with so much fear in his eyes that the advisor thinks it might’ve done something to his heart. Which is- no, impossible. He holds his stern expression in place. Virgil looks up at him and then to the book in his lap, unsure of what to do or say. 

“U-Um, I , uh, well, I was...reading.” He says dumbly. He really wants to punch himself now. Logan crouches down and picks the book up from Virgil’s lap, looking it over inquisitively. 

“Mm, yes I’ve realized that. The library is off limits to you and I am certain Stacya has told you such. So try again. Why are you sneaking into the library, Virgil?” Logan places the book back into its spot and picks up the candle Virgil had been using, his own having been put out and left on a table when he’d entered. Virgil stands, brushing invisible dirt off his pants and staring at his feet. 

“I couldn’t sleep well. Reading is… calming.”  _ Lying again, huh?  _ Logan gestures for Virgil to follow before he starts walking. 

“I was unaware you could read. I would’ve thought because you were taken at such a young age you have not received proper schooling.” Logan says as he leads Virgil out of the library, this time locking the door behind him. Virgil’s hands clenched into fists.

“A friend of mine taught me. He taught me a lot, actually.” Virgil replies, voice barely above a whisper. Logan leads him to the stairs, the one Virgil hasn’t used except for when he helps Patton. 

“Would you like some tea? We can further this conversation in the servants kitchen.” Virgil looks at him, surprise evident but Logan just continues walking down the stairs. Was he not actually in trouble? Or was Logan prolonging his inevitable doom? Virgil followed anyways, unsure of what else he could do. 

They make it to the kitchen where Logan proceeds to put the tea kettle on and pull out some tea from one of the cabinets. It is a soothing chamomile tea to help Virgil sleep better or something like that. Virgil stands, uneasy, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he waits for Logan to scold him or maybe even fire him. Kick him out perhaps? Logan pours the boiling water into two mugs with the tea bags and hands one to Virgil. 

“Am I fired?” Virgil asks. Logan blows on his tea before taking a sip, humming pleasantly at the taste. 

“No, you’re not fired. I do promote the search of knowledge, though I wish you would ask for permission before merely deciding to break into our library.” Logan explains. “This is a warning. If I catch you again, there will be consequences.” Virgil feels like he might cry. Thank  _ goodness. _ Virgil sighs, releasing all the tension in his shoulders as much as possible without agitating his back. They stand in silence for a few moments. Logan wasn’t as cold as Virgil had first thought. If he agreed with a pursuit of knowledge maybe he’d have the answer to his question. 

“Can I ask you something? About magic?” Virgil questioned. Logan raised a brow but nodded.

“I’m no expert but I can say I know quite a bit on the subject. You may speak freely.” He encourages. Virgil stares at the steam rising from his mug.

“Do you know of any witches in this kingdom? The curse breaking kind?” Virgil is afraid to look up and see the expression on Logan’s face. Curses are a dangerous topic for most people. Logan sets down his empty mug on the counter and crosses his arms.

“I do. There is a witch at the edge of this kingdom on an island near the ports. It’s quite a trek but he is known for being able to break even the most powerful of curses. But a dragon protects the island and his curse breaking magic has been said to have some heavy drawbacks.” Logan explains, eyeing Virgil. “Why do you ask? What curse is it that you need broken?” Logan is suspicious and Virgil can feel it in his gaze.

“I,” He’s uncertain if he should tell the truth here. But he’s so tired of lying all the time. “That friend I mentioned, the one I grew up with? He’s still over there, in the dark lands. I promised I would come back to him but I can’t bring him over here until I can break his curse. You see, he was born there.” Virgil explains. His mind flashes to the night Janus’ snake scales grew and they way he screamed. He shivers. Logan hums.

“That’s quite the goal, Virgil. I wish you the best of luck.” Logan places his cup in the sink before stepping out. “Try to get some sleep from here on out. Stacya says you’ve been slacking lately and Patton is worried. Goodnight.” He says, back turned before stepping out completely. Virgil nods even though Logan is already gone. Some sleep would do him good. He washes both of their cups, erasing the evidence of their conversation and walks back to his room in the dark. 

His back is aching, throbbing. It feels a bit like a stabbing sensation at this point. Everyday the feeling seems to get worse. He fears of what it could mean, of what it might be. He hasn’t dared to look since the last time but he’s not sure he can take it tonight. He makes it to his room and locks the door, pulling his jacket and shirt off as quickly as possible and throwing them to the ground. He turns his back to the mirror and holds his breath and he strains to look over his shoulder like before. The rashes he had before were blotchy and red, worse than last time. 

But that’s not all. It wasn’t just blemishes anymore. His eyes widened as he stared. It looked as if something was growing beneath his skin, lumps pushing against his flesh. Sharp bits of something were poking through between his shoulder blades, and the red was starting to spread, following his spine down his back. Tears pricked his eyes. He thought he had escaped it. He was 19 and nothing had happened so why now!? He fell to his knees, tears travelling down his cheeks. He was in a whole new place, it was supposed to be better, but instead he was alone in a room that wasn’t his without his closest friend as his demon curse manifested on his back. He was scared. 

Virgil falls asleep on the floor that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment on your thoughts or even your favorite line or quote? They really motivate me to keep writing, thank you for reading!  
> Until next time~  
> Sugarcon


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil wakes to the sound of the servants alarm going off in the hall. He groans as he pushes himself up into a sitting position from where he lays on the floor. For a moment he’s confused. Why was he not in his bed? Where was his shirt and jacket, he never slept without them. As his foggy brain warms up he looks over to the mirror and catches a glimpse at his back. It all comes flooding back to him. Being caught in the library, the information he’d gotten from Logan, the panic that filled him when he’d realized what was happening on his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Panic Attacks and Body Horror  
> Please mind and READ the TAGS   
> If there is anything else you think I should put in the tw let me know and I'll gladly add it. If anyone is accidentally triggered while reading this fic you can message me on Tumblr if you'd like at connormurphysstuff
> 
> THANK YOU TO MY BEST FRIEND PRINCE FOR BETA READING  
> we'd be screwed without him ya'll

Virgil wakes to the sound of the servants alarm going off in the hall. He groans as he pushes himself up into a sitting position from where he lays on the floor. For a moment he’s confused. Why was he not in his bed? Where was his shirt and jacket, he never slept without them. As his foggy brain warms up he looks over to the mirror and catches a glimpse at his back. It all comes flooding back to him. Being caught in the library, the information he’d gotten from Logan, the panic that filled him when he’d realized what was happening on his back.

His breathing was picking up, stuttering out of his lungs and coming back in much too quickly. He turned away from the mirror, not wanting to see the grotesque imagery of something he knew wasn’t human growing beneath his skin. He felt nauseous. He wasn’t sure if it was from the sight or because he couldn’t breathe. Possibly both. He scrambled for his shirt, pulling it on over his head and ignoring the way lifting his arms so quickly made pain flare up his shoulders. He forced his arms through his hoodie sleeves and then pushed himself into a corner of his room, curling up by his desk. What was he going to do? He was in enemy territory, his curse was just now starting to grow, he was alone- he hiccuped, realizing he was crying again and he still  _ couldn’t breathe.  _

“Virgil? You’re late, are you alright?” It was Stacya, her voice filled with a motherly-like concern. Virgil wanted to respond, to tell her he was fine and that he just needed a minute but when he opened his mouth nothing but a choked sob escaped.  _ They’ll have you executed if you’re found out. _ He thought, hands coming up to wrap around his knees as he pulled them to his chest. “I’m coming in.” Stacya said, twisting the knob to find the door locked. A moment later she had it unlocked and barreled into the room. The imagery of Stacya breaking his door down if she didn’t have a master-key vaguely passed through the back of his mind. 

Stacya stood in the center of the room, her eyes going to the bed first before quickly finding Virgil on the floor. Her worried gaze worsened at the sight. “Oh, honey.” She said with a grace that made him believe she’s done this before. She kneeled to the floor but didn’t approach him. “Can I come closer?” She asked. Virgil didn’t know how to respond, he’s never been asked that before. His chest was heaving, his back strained from his quick breathing. Virgil wanted to tell her yes, to ask her to come and well, he wasn’t sure. Maybe hug him? 

“C-Can’t… I can’t breathe.” He managed to force out, barely above a whisper. He was starting to feel a little lightheaded and his lungs and throat burned. Stacya put one of her hands on her chest and held up the other. 

“Try breathing with me, dear. One, and out, two, and out,” With each inhale she held up her finger, her hand on her chest moving as she exhaled. He focused on it, emptying his mind to the best of his abilities, pushing his fear and thoughts aside to think about again at another time. He dropped his knees so he was sitting with his legs crossed, making more room for his chest to expand. At first his breaths were too quick and held them too long, but as Stacya kept counting he started to calm down. 

With his breathing back to being as regular despite a few hiccups here and there, Stacya dropped her hands in her lap. “S-Sorry.” Virgil replied, voice rough. His cheeks were starting to itch from where his tears had dried. The ginger woman smiled warmly at him. 

“It’s quite alright, how are you feeling?” She asked. Virgil shrugged, unsure how to answer. He couldn’t really tell her  _ why  _ he’d started to panic. He makes to stand, unsteady on his feet for a moment before straightening and shoving his hands into his pockets. Stacya stands as well, brushing off her apron. “Well, I don’t think you should be straining yourself. I’ll have you spend the day with Patton, maybe help do some dishes after dinner, is that alright with you?” She asks. Virgil nods instinctively. He looks to his uniform and cringes. He doesn’t even want to think about taking his hoodie off. Stacya follows his gaze and then looks back to him. She waves a hand dismissively. “Don’t you worry about that, now. Patton won’t mind if you stay in your regs. He might prefer it actually, that man is always trying to get whoever is assigned to him to relax instead of doing our jobs. But I think you could use that today, hm?” She hums. Virgil’s heart aches with how sweet she is. He lets a tiny smile break out onto his face and nods. “Go on now, maybe even talk to Patton a bit about what happened if you’re comfortable. He is a healer after all.” She says. Virgil makes to leave, turning with one last thing to say. 

“Thank you, Stacya.” The woman’s smile grows and she gives him a dorky thumbs up. He turns now, feeling a lot better as he tries to ignore the problem at hand. He needs to get out of here. He hadn’t wanted to stay too long in the beginning, what with Janus still being stuck in the dark lands, but with whatever was growing on his back making itself seen, his time tables have significantly moved up. He’d leave tonight. 

Virgil headed up to the third floor, slipping out from the staircase and heading to Patton’s office. The door was wide open, the sun pouring through the window across from it. He wiped at his cheeks to get rid of any tear stains and took a couple deep breaths before entering. Inside, Patton sat at his desk leaning over an opened notebook. If he didn’t know Patton he might’ve thought he was working, writing notes and such. No, the man was just doodling. Blue eyes looked up at him as he walked past the doorway, a cheerful smile lessening ever so slightly into something softer.  _ He noticed, of course he noticed, he notices everything.  _ Virgil thought. 

“Are you alright Virgil?” Patton asked, because of course he would. He shrugs, quickly regretting it as it pulls on his shoulder blades, the sensitive skin rubbing wrong against his shirt and making him wince. “Is it your back?” Patton stands, his chair rolling back with his sudden need to get up. He reaches a hand to Virgil who flinches away. He can’t have Patton find out! “Virgil…?” Patton asks, voice quiet. It tears him up inside, he wants to tell him, he does. But he  _ can’t _ .

“It’s fine, Pat, just forget about it.” Virgil responds. Patton seems to relax just a bit at the use of the nickname. If Virgil had grown close to anyone here, it was Patton. The man was the kindest soul he’d ever met. Patton closes the office door, locking it and suddenly Virgil is on edge. 

“I know you’re keeping something from me.” Patton says, his voice still soft, still kind. He turns to the pale man. “It’s okay to tell me, I can keep a secret. But I don’t want you hiding your pain.” Patton lets a lot of his emotions out through his eyes and voice. Virgil can feel how worried he is from across the room and it makes nausea stir in his gut. Patton doesn’t deserve to feel bad like this because of him. Virgil bites his lower lip. He thinks about it. 

“No, I- Patton I can’t. You don’t understand.”He says instead. Patton’s features relax a bit. Virgil knows he won't guilt trip him into sharing. The healer sits in his chair again, rolling up closer to Virgil.

“I won’t force you to tell me, but I can guess. You’re from the dark lands, right? Is it the curse?” Patton asks, smiling like he didn’t just admit he had information that could get Virgil- no- the both of them killed. Virgil’s eyes widened in fear, he backed away, looking to the door as if guards were about to storm in and take him to the king. “It’s alright, I’ve thought that might be the case for awhile now, kiddo. Don’t fret though! I didn’t tell anyone.” Virgil was astonished, looking back to Patton as if he had grown a second head.

“H-How did you-?” If Patton could figure it out, surely so could anyone else. 

“I can deduce things just like anyone else. I checked the archives of missing persons when you first came in. Your name wasn’t anywhere. I thought maybe you were using an alias, but there was no one matching your description at the time of the last raid either, or your age.” Patton explained. Virgil pulled his hoodie tighter, ignoring how it hurt.

“How do you even know what ‘alias’ means?” Virgil asked, regretting it immediately. Patton ignored the slight at his intelligence, smiling past it.

“I know big words.” He replied. There was a moment of silence. Patton knew his secret. “No one else knows.” The healer said, obviously trying to reassure him. Vigril was frantic. Everything was falling apart around him

“I- I need to get out of here. Tonight. Before anyone else finds out.” Virgil says. His heart is racing but he tries to calm himself before he spirals like he had this morning. He starts pacing, fiddling with the thread inside his pocket again. 

“Not until I get a look at your back. It  _ is _ your curse right?” Patton asks. Virgil pauses. Right, if Patton knows his secret, maybe he can help him before he leaves. A bottle of painkillers would be pretty nice. He’s hesitant at first, but if he doesn’t get this checked out, it could be the end of him. 

“Fine, but just a look.” Virgil agrees. Patton nods and stands, excited to be able to help. Virgil takes off his jacket before looking to the window. He tosses his hoodie onto the nearby bed before heading to the window and closing the curtains. He knows he’s being paranoid but this is very much a life or death situation. He stands with his back to Patton, fear laced throughout his entire being. He pulls off his shirt.

“Woah.” Patton says as he comes closer. “Your skin is super red, do you know what this is?” He asks. Virgil shakes his head. 

“You never know what the curse gives you until it happens.” Virgil explains. Patton hums in response, pushing his glasses up his nose. He examines the lumps growing over Virgil’s shoulder blades, the redness going down his spine and the sharp needle-like pricks poking out from under his skin. 

“Virgil, these are bones. New bones where your shoulder blades are. I think you might be growing wings.” Virgil’s back straightens and he turns, eyes wide. 

“Wings!?” He exclaims. Patton stands tall and nods.

“I’m a healer for people, not animals, but I’m pretty sure that’s what’s going on. The wing bones are developing underneath your skin, the reason it hurts so much is because I  _ think _ once they’ve reached a certain stage they’ll burst out. Now there are also bits and pieces of needles coming through between your shoulder blades, that’s probably the beginning of your feathers.” Virgil’s breath caught in his throat before he let it all flow out of him in a tired, broken laugh. He falls to his knees and pulls his shirt back over his head. 

“Fan-fucking-tastic.”

“Language!” Virgil glares up at him and Patton apologizes. “Sorry, instinct.” He chuckles. Virgil looks up to the ceiling, despair curling around him. There was no way he would be able to hide wings forever. 

“Well, maybe I’ll just ignore them. I have to find that curse breaker.” Virgil stands to his feet and reaches for his jacket.

“Ignore- kiddo that’s dangerous! You can’t just pretend they’re not there. Once they break through you’ll be dealin with open injuries. You’ve gotta stay here so I can take care of ya.” Patton said, sneaking in that stern fatherly tone at the end. Virgil shook his head.

“I don’t have that kind of time. I’ve got to leave tonight, Pat. If anyone found out I’d be reported and killed. ‘Sides, I don’t really care what happens to me.” He replied as he pulled his jacket on. Patton’s nose scrunched, pouting.

“Now don’t you go talkin bad bout yerself young man.” Patton started, turning to one of his cabinets. “I won’t let you go off and get an infection, you’re my patient. So I’m going with ya.” Virgil startled, whipping around to look at Patton. 

“Wha- you can’t! It’s dangerous, and the castle isn’t just gonna let one if it’s healers go!” Virgil shouted, astonished. Patton was pulling bottles of meds, a first aid kit and a couple of other things down, shoving them into a bag he’d grabbed out of a drawer, smiling all the while. 

“Yes I can and yes they will. They have Jada and she’s an amazing healer! Plus, I haven’t gone on a vacation in- well, ever! So I’m coming and you can’t stop me.” He picked up the backpack and looked to Virgil. “Where are we going, anyway?” Virgil groaned. Looks like he picked up a stray dog.

Virgil spent the rest of the morning and a little into the afternoon planning with Patton. He told him about the island, the dragon and the witch, that they needed to reach the ports and the supplies they would have to acquire. As the afternoon came closer, Patton called up Logan. They would need to tell him they were heading out, Patton needed an official leave request after all. Logan had come by the office an hour before dinner and Virgil was a tad bit jittery. It had just been last night that the advisor had caught him in the library. 

“What was the important matter you summoned me for, Patton?” Logan had asked as he stepped into the room. 

“Me and Virgil are going on a quest and you should come with us!” Patton had exclaimed, much to Virgil’s disbelief. 

“Patton! That wasn’t the plan!” He shouted back. Patton looked at him apologetically. 

“I know but Virgil, Logan is the smartest person I know. He’s basically a walking map  _ and _ ,” Patton leaned in to whisper. “He knows way more about wing maintenance and growth than I do.” Virgil’s eyes were filled with fear. Logan was the  _ royal advisor _ . If he knew Virgil’s secret he could tell the Prince himself.

“What on earth is going on? Go where? And why are you whispering?” Logan was getting a little agitated at the lack of information being shared. He crossed his arms over his chest. Patton was looking at Virgil with eyes filled with encouragement. 

“Patton, are you sure? What if-”

“It’s alright, buddy, you can tell him. I trust him with my life.” Patton reassured. Logan looked pretty concerned now. Virgil let out a sigh, fear clutching his heart.

“Patton and I are going to find that witch you told me about. The one who can break curses. I have to help my friend, but there's a bit of a problem. I… was born over there. In the dark lands.” Logan’s eyes widened. “When I turned 19 and the curse hadn’t manifested I thought I was safe! But… it’s started. Patton says I’m growing wings out of my back and so he wants to come and make sure they don’t get infected but neither of us know how we’re going to take care of them.” Virgil pulled his gaze away from his shoes to look at Logan. “Will you come with us?” 

Logan’s lips were pulled into a bit of a smirk, eyes glossed over with curiosity. “Fascinating. A person growing wings? I do wonder what the growth pattern will be like and how it might differ from that of a regular bird. Do you know if they’ll be big enough to fly with? Or merely there for appearance?” Patton was grinning ear to ear knowingly. Virgil was confused, looking between Patton and Logan. 

“I- uh, I don’t know?” Virgil responded to the random barrage of questions. Logan nodded, eyes closed as he adjusted his glasses. 

“Then it seems I must accompany you to record this finding. I’ve never had the chance to meet someone with the dark lands curse, especially someone currently going through such a thing. I can’t let this go on undocumented, I will keep your secret.” Virgil’s jaw dropped to the floor as Patton excitedly turned to him, practically bouncing. 

“He’s in!”

With his party steadily growing, Virgil wasn’t sure how he could plan this trip. He was used to sneaking around, that wasn’t going to be possible with three of them now. Logan had approached the Prince and the King before dinner to enquire about the trip. Patton and Virgil had waited patiently outside the throne room for the verdict. It had been almost 30 minutes since Logan had gone in. 

The double doors opened and Logan exited with two fingers pinching his forehead like he had a headache. He sighed and Virgil’s heart sank. Had they said no? Just as Virgil was going to ask, someone came into the hall behind the advisor. 

Virgil raised a brow. The man was just a little taller than Logan, with auburn brown wavy hair elegantly pushed to the side and out of his face. His eyes were a golden brown color and he had this shit eating grin plastered on his face like he’d just won an argument. He was wearing a white, royal coat with matching pants, covered in gold buttons and tassels with a bright red sash across his chest. His pants tucked into high light brown laced boots that ended just below the knee and he wore a fancy sword on his belt. That was- holy shit, a gold crown rested on his head. This was the Prince. 

“Prince Roman? Logan? How’d it go?” Patton asked. Virgil instinctively hid behind the taller man. Roman turned to Patton as the doors to the throne room closed. 

“Ah, good news Padre, but I, the great Prince Roman, am coming with you.” He moved his hands when he talked, his voice carrying a dramatic flare. The first thought in Virgil’s head was that he sounded full of himself. The second was ‘ _ fuck _ ’. The crown prince? Virgil looked to Logan to see if the news was true and the man begrudgingly nodded. 

“Not that I’m not super excited or whatever, but  _ why _ ?” Virgil asked, not holding back the bite in his voice. Roman pulled back, arms crossed over his chest as he scanned over Virgil’s entire person. 

“Who’s the Negative Nancy?” Roman asked, looking to Logan for a response as if Virgil wasn’t there. 

“This is Virgil. Remember? I spoke about him as being the one to instigate this quest.” Logan reminded. Roman’s eyes widened and then he grimaced. He cleared his throat and turned back to Virgil, bowing at the waist with a dramatic motion before standing up straight. 

“I’m sure you already know, but I am Prince Roman, you may call me Roman seeing as we’ll be spending more time together. Logan tells me you’re going to the witch on Dreamurs Island. I myself adore a good quest so I’ve chosen to join you. Maybe slay a dragon on the way.” Roman raises a brow and smirks. “You’re welcome.” Virgil rolled his eyes and Roman pouted at the response. Patton stepped in between them.

“Glad to have ya, kiddo!” 

While Roman was busy setting up their trip, Logan got to explaining how the conversation had gone. Despite any reasons Logan could give without having to lie, Roman had insisted he join and the King had allowed it. Logan had told the King and Prince that the reason Virgil needed to see this witch was to assist a friend with a magical ailment, Patton had asked to join due to a health concern Virgil was currently suffering through and Logan had been requested for his knowledge of the land. All true without giving away too much. 

Jada would be replacing Patton, the King would have Cassandra as his royal guard in the throne room. Roman was not only the next in line, but the most capable warrior in the kingdom. With him around, the King had never needed a bodyguard. Cassandra was taught alongside Roman growing up and was fit to stand at the King’s side in the meanwhile. They would leave at sunrise by horseback. The four of them retired that night, Virgil anxious about what their quest would entail, Logan curious about the knowledge he would gain, Patton excited for their adventure and Roman eager to prove something. 

The gears for their quest were finally turning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter will hopefully be up soon and definitely by the end of the week! Thank you to my beta reader Prince, he's super helpful when it comes to making sure everything is spelled and paced nicely.   
> Let me know what you liked! Leave a comment on your favorite line or quote, maybe even good wording/description, I love to hear it. As always I'm open to constructive criticism. Comments always push me to do my best!  
> Until next time~  
> Sugarcon


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil struggles to breathe, trying to focus on anything else besides the immense pain and the fear. Roman sees him, he knows. Patton is afraid. He can recognize it in his eyes. He bites his lip, desperately trying not to hyperventilate but his head already feels foggy. The cold water on his new appendages feels a bit soothing and his everything is throbbing. Suddenly the feeling of metal meets his chin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE MIND THE TAGS  
> TW: For body horror, gore, blood, major character injury, panic attacks, self-loathing, self-hatred and heartbreak!
> 
> This chapter is both very fluffy and sweet as well as heart crushingly sad so I hope you're ready
> 
> (EDIT: OMG I went back and read this to get back into the groove of writing it and saw a HUGE error in the beginning where a piece of one paragraph somehow ended up at the end of the previous one, thus making the whole thing sound like nonsense! That is sooo embarrassing, I'm so sorry TvT. It's fixed now though!)

Virgil wished he could go back to being someone people glossed over. He hated whatever _ this  _ was. He stood, hunched over with his hood pulled over his head, standing next to three horses as a group of guards and servants crowded the gate to see their Prince off on his adventure. Patton stood happily just a little beside him and to the side, his backpack large and likely filled with as much medical supplies as snacks. Logan stood tall, arms crossed over his chest, looking stoic as ever, though Virgil thought he might see something in those dark eyes that said he didn’t like the attention either. Roman was waving dramatically as if he was never coming back.

“Farewell, all! Do not fear, for I will return to you one day! Though feel free to miss me as I know you will.” He shouted at the crowd. Virgil groaned, rolling his eyes. The sun was bright and still rising. He desperately wished he was still asleep. His back pain, or his growing wings as he’d found out, painfully pressed against his skin, eager to burst out and ruin everything. The thought of getting on one of these horses and being jostled around was not a fun one. 

As the crowd dispersed to get back to their duties, the four of them gathered. Logan had a satchel with his maps and a book to document their quest, and Virgil’s growing problem, and Roman carried nothing but his sword. Virgil had wanted to help but with his back the way it was, Patton had announced him unfit to carry anything.

“Alright, let’s head off then!” Roman said, stepping up to his horse and climbing aboard like he’d done a million times. Was no one going to mention that they had less horses than people? 

“About that Roman, someone has to ride with Virgil.” Patton said, halting them in their tracks. Virgil raised a questioning brow, looking to the healer. Roman sighed. 

“And  _ why _ can’t Doctor Gloom ride alone?” Roman asked, obviously annoyed. Virgil glared at his back. 

“Because Virgil is injured, kiddo, and he’s never ridden a horse before.” The man in question said nothing, hiding behind his hood.  _ Injured, right.  _ He thought to himself. Logan spoke up next, already having mounted his horse. 

“I believe it would be best for Virgil to ride with Roman. He is, after all, the best rider amongst the four of us.” Logan stated, looking to the Prince and healer for confirmation. Virgil felt like he was being glossed over at this point. What about what he wanted?  _ It doesn’t matter what you want, they’re already risking everything for you. _ His thoughts reminded him. He kept quiet. 

“That’s a great idea! Whaddya say Roman?” Patton exclaimed excitedly. Roman pouted in response, but couldn’t refuse the cheer in Patton’s eyes.

“I  _ suppose _ .” He groaned. “I am the best after all.” Nevermind, Virgil definitely wanted a say in the matter. He  _ did not _ want to ride with Roman of all people. “Come on then, Sir Frowns-a-lot, let’s get a move on.” Roman reached out his hand to help pull him up. Virgil finally took his eyes off Patton, looking at the offered hand and then back to Patton who nodded encouragingly. Virgil clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning sharply back to Roman and taking his hand. He was pulled up onto the back of the horse, hissing as it tugged at his back. Virgil’s hips slid into place against the back of Roman and he was suddenly very much too close. The unease in Virgil’s stomach lessened but did not go away. Roman pulled Virgil’s hand so he was wrapping his arm around his torso and the smaller man pulled back. “You’re gonna wanna hold on, trust me.” Roman warned, releasing his hand without looking back at him. 

“Back off Princey, we’re already touching enough.” Virgil complained. Roman sputtered at the nickname but in the end no more words were exchanged between the two. They were off, with Roman in the lead despite Logan being the one giving directions. As soon as their horse started moving, Virgil became unsteady, wrapping his arms around Roman’s waist in his rapid attempt at not falling. Roman snickered and Virgil glared at the back of his head but didn’t let go. His fear of falling off and landing on his back was far greater than his pride. 

“We should arrive at Tricksters Ridge by nightfall.” Logan said, looking over his map as they rode. Virgil looked over his shoulder.

“Why’s it called that?” He asked, suspicion growing. Logan smirked, excited to be able to share some of the vast knowledge in his head.

“There’s said to be some sort of mythical creature in the woods that quite enjoys playing tricks on travellers. No one has ever seen it before, but many have stated they walked in circles for hours despite following the sun or stars. Some have reported waking up high in trees without being able to recall how they arrived in such a situation. It’s quite interesting.” Virgil didn’t find it interesting.

“Does it kill people? Sounds like a horror story to me.” Logan waves a hand dismissively. 

“The creature has never harmed anyone. It is merely a trickster, not a murder. You have no reason to worry.” He replied.

“Maybe it just wants friends!” Patton said excitedly, ever the optimist. Roman chuckled in response and Virgil could feel it rumble in his chest from where he was pressed against the prince’s back. 

They carried on, the sun high in the sky. Virgil felt like he was baking, his hood still pulled over his head, his jacket zipped and covering his pale skin lest he burn. It was so hot. The weather was rarely like this across the border. Always raining bullets or depressingly grey. He had long since given up sitting up straight, leaning heavily into Roman. He was still tired, having not been able to sleep through the whole night before, anxiety making his skin crawl and his stomach turn. He groaned, letting his eyes close. Maybe he could just take a small nap. His cheek pressed against Roman’s upper back, his hands that had been gripping his own wrists to stay locked together slowly grew limp as he drifted off into a heat exhausted nap. 

Roman noticed the grip around his middle start to loosen, Virgil’s weight on his back becoming heavier as it did.  _ He must be falling asleep _ . He thought. He was surprised the jostling of the horse wasn’t waking him. Roman took one hand away from the reins and carefully grabbed both of Virgil’s hands together to keep him on the horse as he dozed. 

The ride to the edge of Tricksters Ridge was boring and dull. Roman had hoped for a bit more adventure than this and sighed for the hundredth time that afternoon. The sun would be setting soon and they had just reached the trees. Virgil had woken up earlier that day when he had almost lost balance and fallen, leading to grumpy Virgil and a laughing Roman. Now that they were finally at their first stop, the injured boy hopped down from the horse and stood. His ass hurt from sitting all day and the growing appendages on his back had reached a new level of pain, almost unbearable. Logan gathered their horses, fed them and gave them some water before they were sending them off back to the castle. They would have to go the rest of the way on foot. The forest floor was muddy and there were patches that one could easily sink into, the horses would be at risk with their weight. 

Virgil stood in front of Patton, looking up at him, his bottom lip quivering. “Do you have any pain meds?” He asked, hands shoved in his pockets as he struggled not to lean into the tall healer. Patton melted, worry swelling up in his chest.

“Yeah, hold on kiddo.” He said. How could he have forgotten? He’d let Virgil suffer this whole time. Patton pulled his bag off and set it on the grass, crouching down and digging through it. He found a bottle filled with a few painkillers he’d concocted himself and pulled out a water bottle and two pills. He held them out to Virgil who took them hastily, popping them in his mouth and swallowing them down before Patton even had a chance to hand over the water bottle.

“Thank you.” He said, voice quiet. He took the water and drank a few gulps before handing it back for Pat to shove back in his bag. 

“How are you feeling, Virgil? Are you alright to continue?” Logan asked, placing a gentle hand on Virgil’s shoulder. He looked to the advisor and gave a weak smile.

“Yeah man, I’m good.” Roman watched on from the sidelines.  _ When were those three so close? _ He wondered. 

“Fantastic! Then shall we head in? We should make as much ground as we can.” Roman announced. Logan stepped back to his side and nodded in agreement. Patton, still with that look of worry in his eyes, nodded as well, pulling his backpack on. He leaned down to whisper in Virgil’s ear as the other two started to walk into the forest. 

“I’ll check out your wings when we set up camp, alright?” Patton asked. The younger nodded and they both followed their royal leader. 

In the end they only walked for another hour or so before it was starting to get dark and Logan suggests they set up their camp for the night. They find a decent clearing, Patton happily collecting dry sticks as Roman and Logan build a rock circle for their makeshift fire pit. Virgil sat on a log, feeling useless in this situation. He hadn’t been good for much even though the journey was for him. He can’t help but wonder what he would’ve done if they hadn’t been here. Probably keep going until he collapsed from exhaustion, that seemed to be his usual route. 

Once they get the fire going it’s easy from there. Roman unpacked their sleeping bags from his own pack, the bags were thin to save space and tightly rolled up. He laid them out around the fire pit, keeping Logan’s close to his own. Virgil sat atop his green sleeping bag with his legs crossed, sitting up as straight as possible to try and alleviate the pain he felt. The fire felt feverish on his face and his back felt cold. 

“Logan? Do you think you could distract Roman while I tend to Virgil?” Patton whispered to the advisor. Logan pushed his glasses up his nose.

“Yes of course. It’s incredibly easy to divert his attention, no worries.” Patton smiles and Logan heads off. The advisor steps up to where Roman is sitting, poking at the fire. “Would it be alright if I sit beside you?” He asks. Roman looks up at him and flashes that charming smile and something stirs inside Logan’s chest that he quickly ignores. Roman silently scoots over a bit to make room on his sleeping bag for the other and Logan sits down, crossing his legs in front of him. “Is our adventure fulfilling for you?” Logan inquires. The fire reflects and dances in Roman’s eyes before they’re turned on him. Roman pulls his knees up to his chest and crosses his arms on top of them to rest his head on, gazing over to Logan. The soft expression on his face causes Logan’s ears to flush.

“It is, I’m glad I could have this chance. You know, we haven’t adventured together since we were kids in the palace gardens.” Roman says fondly, thinking back to those times. He and Logan had grown up side by side, they had always been destined to become this. The Prince and his Advisor. “I feel as if we don’t spend as much time together as we once did.” His voice holds a sort of sorrow that resonates with Logan deep inside his subconscious. The advisor leans back on his hands to look at the sky and Roman follows, the stars shining bright through the treetops. 

“I cannot deny that I’ve also… missed your company, for lack of a better phrase.” Roman’s smile widens. On the other side of the campfire Virgil sits with his jacket in his lap and Patton behind him, holding up the back of his shirt to look over his wings. The bones beneath the skin twitch and spasm now and then, ready to break free at any moment. Patton grimaces. 

“They’re gonna pop any hour now, son.” Patton states as he drops Virgil’s shirt. The smaller boy hurries to pull his jacket on, turning with a look of fear on his face.

“They can’t, what are we going to do if the Prince finds out? He’ll have me executed.” Virgil’s voice is barely above a whisper. Patton shakes his head. 

“He will not. I know you two haven’t really been getting along, but Roman is a good friend of mine, he doesn’t go around executing people because they’re different.” Patton explains, keeping his voice down. Virgil pulls his hood over his head and sighs. He wants to believe him.

“I-” He doesn’t know what to say, fear spills through his veins and he doesn’t know how to calm it. “I’ll trust you, Pat.” The smile he gets from Patton is worth it in the end. The healer reaches underneath his hood and ruffles his hair to which Virgil immediately melts. 

“Get some sleep now, I’ll give you some more medicine for the pain in the morning.” Patton says, his fatherly tone making Virgil feel a strange warmth in his chest. 

The four of them clock out for the night, sinking into their sleeping bags with the crackling of their newly put out fire soothing their ears. As they doze, a figure moves in the distant woods. 

Virgil woke to the sound of someone screaming. His eyes shot open, blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust to the morning light. He pushed up onto his knees as he looked around the camp to find the source of distress. Logan and Patton were still sleeping peacefully in their bags but Roman… was gone. Virgil stood hastily, flinching as his back shot pain through his shoulder and arms. Just as he was about to wake Patton up he heard that scream again, somewhere in the distance. His body reacted and he ran into the woods towards the sound. 

“Princy!” He shouted, looking around at the trees that felt as if they were closing in on him. “Roman!” He screamed, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice louder. 

“Up here!” Virgil spun on his heel, to a large tree riddled with thick branches. His brown eyes scanned the tree up to some of its highest branches where he spotted a flash of white. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Up in the tree sitting on a branch was Prince Roman, fear evident on his face as he held onto the trunk tightly. “Get me down!” He practically shrieked. 

“What the hell are you doing up there!?” Virgil shouted back. Roman glared at him. 

“I haven’t the faintest idea, I was here when I woke up! Now will you get me  _ down _ !?” Virgil looked to him utterly confused. Could he not get down himself? He analyzed the branches and groaned. 

“Fine! I’m coming up!” Virgil approached the tree trunk and reached up, grabbing onto one of the branches to start pulling himself up. He grit his teeth as the pull tugged at his back painfully. He refused to continue being useless.  _ Helping him wont change the fact he’ll have to kill you eventually _ . His inner voice told him. Virgil chose to ignore it. His mind wandered back to Logan’s talk about the trickster in these woods. He muscled his way through the pain, breaking a sweat by the time he made it to where the Prince sat, a whimpering mess. “You a tree hugger now?” Virgil teased. Roman sneered at him. The servant boy stood on a lower branch, leaning easily against the tree trunk. He was scared of most things, even the idea of falling, but he’d climbed so many trees growing up that this didn’t faze him. 

“How come you’re not frightened?” Roman asked. Virgil shrugged.

“I used to work in the palace gardens. Back in… uh… the dark lands.” He replied, watching Roman’s face to see his reaction. He only pouted. 

“That’s right, I’d almost forgotten. You were kidnapped, yes? I was told you weren’t born on the other side. Quite lucky for you.” Virgil looked away. 

“Come on, Princy, I’ll help you down.” He said, wanting to change the subject. He held out his hand. Roman looked at it like it might bite him. He slowly pulled away from the tree trunk to take the others hand. Virgil helped him to his feet on their now shared branch. Together, they made their way ever so slowly down the tree. Once they were close enough to the bottom, Roman boldly jumped. “Show off.” Virgil muttered. Roman stayed at the base as Virgil reached to grab another lower branch. Just as his fingers grazed the wood his foot slipped on the bark and he was falling, heart launching into his throat. Before he even had a chance to scream he found himself cradled to someone’s chest. He opened his eyes which he didn’t remember closing to find Roman’s face much too close and much too cocky. “Y-You.... Caught me…?” Virgil said, astonished. 

“That I did.” Roman replied, one arm under Virgil’s knees and the other on his back. At the realization that Roman might move to touch the injury Virgil pushed at his chest until the Prince dropped him. He landed on his butt on the ground, his back pulsing in agony. He bit his bottom lip and grabbed at his shoulder with a muffled groan. Instead of being angry, the Prince kneeled down and held out a hand but didn’t touch. “That’s right, your injury. I do hope I didn’t aggravate it.” Roman said, voice coated in concern. Virgil looked at him, astonished. He’d never seen this side of him before. 

“I-It’s fine. Let’s just get back to Patton and Logan.” Virgil said, getting to his feet. Roman nodded, expression morphing into a determined one. “I came from that way.” Virgil pointed past the tree they had once been in. Together they began to walk.

Patton wakes up to the sound of boots crunching leaves on the ground. When he opens his eyes he reaches for his glasses and puts them on out of instinct, waiting for the world to clear up around him. He just barely catches someone disappearing into the trees.

“Virgil?” He questions to himself. He looks around their campsite to find that Roman is also gone. His first thought is that maybe Virgil’s wings had appeared and Roman had run off after seeing them. He then decides that, no, Roman wouldn’t react that way. He sits up and looks to Logan who’s still sleeping soundly. Patton is surprised, he always thought Logan was a light sleeper but perhaps he tires himself out by being the only one in their group who uses his brain. Patton chuckles at his own joke. He makes his way over to Logan and gently calls out to him. When he doesn’t stir, Patton places a hand on his shoulder and shakes him lightly. “Time to wake up, Kiddo, the boys have run off.” Patton says, concern lacing his voice. 

Logan sits up stiffly, shoulders tense. He uses his thumb and pointer finger to rub his eyes and pinch his nose with a groan, obviously not wanting to be awake. He finds his glasses where he had neatly placed them by his bag and slips them on before combing his hair back with his fingers and looking at Patton. “I’m awake, what is it?” Logan asks, his voice slurring just a bit. He needed some coffee. His dark eyes widened when he catches a glimpse of Roman’s empty sleeping bag over the healer’s shoulder. “Where is Roman?” Patton puts his hands up in a calming gesture at the sound of panic in his friend’s voice. 

“I just saw Virgil run that way,” He points to where the boy had vanished into the trees. “We should pack up and go after them.” Patton says, hoping his easy going tone will calm Logan. The advisors shoulders are incredibly tense but he nods curtly and together they swiftly pack up their campsite. Patton adjusts the heavy bag on his back, Logan carrying his own satchel along with Roman’s that held their camping gear as if it wasn’t heavy at all. The cheerful man leads them in the direction he’d last seen their friend. 

The trees are tall and the sun is shining through the tops, painting the ground in puddles of light. The air is warm but not yet reaching uncomfortable and it feels fresh as they breathe. Patton smiles happily, the scenery so beautiful that his chest feels warm, but when he looks over to Logan he pauses. He looks worried. “Don’t fret kiddo! I’m sure we’ll find them.” Patton says reassuringly. Logan shakes his head. 

“No, it isn’t that. I’m positive we’ll find them if Roman does not find us first. I’m more concerned about the lack of birds above. I haven’t heard any for approximately 10 minutes since we departed into the woods.” Logan explains. Patton raises an eyebrow. That is mysterious. “I can’t help but wonder what must be alarming the- WOAH!” Logan’s sentence cuts off as his food catches on a raised root from a nearby tree. Patton slaps a hand over his mouth so as to not laugh as the advisor lands face first in the dirt. Logan groans and Patton rushes to his side. 

“Are you okay?” He asks, a smile on his face but no laughter threatening to slip. Logan glares at the root as he gets to his knees and pushes his glasses up his nose, thankful they had not broken. 

“I’m quite alright.” He responds, brushing the dirt off his front. His ears flush slightly, embarrassed. He makes a mental note not to get so distracted looking up for birds. He makes it to his feet and Patton stands beside him, a small chuckle escaping past his lips. Logan gives him a look and the taller looks away, holding his breath but unable to rid his smile from his face. “Let us continue.” Logan says, gesturing to the path ahead before he starts to walk, his head held up despite his eyes trained on the ground. Patton skips to catch up.

They continue their walk in search of their missing companions, Patton filling the air with random chatter. Logan rants about a plant or two he finds on the way. The birds have yet to return. A loud squawk garners Logan’s attention as they’re walking, the dark haired man whipping his head up to try and catch a glimpse of the source just as Patton shouts. “Logan look out!” A startled scream cuts off in the advisor's throat as he steps off a steep edge of their path.

His feet slide down the dirt cliff, slipping underneath him as he scrapes his knees before he collapses into a tumble, rolling down the hill for what feels like an impossible amount of time until his back hits a tree. The breath is knocked out of his lungs and for a moment he can’t breathe. He coughs and sucks in air desperately as soon as his body allows it, groaning when everything catches up to him. The back pack he’d been wearing filled with their sleeping gear saved his head from anything lethal, but his legs ache and his brain spins, dizzy from rolling. He can sort of make out Patton struggling to get down the hill without falling himself. 

“Oh jeez, are you okay?” Patton asks once he’s made it down, hands hovering over Logan helplessly and baby blue eyes shiny as if he might cry. Logan wants to nod but decides against it. 

“I’ll be alright. I’ve only skinned my knees a bit, nothing broken.” He knows he’ll bruise in a few spots though. Patton nods but looks over his face, staring into his eyes. It makes Logan want to squirm uncomfortably. Eye contact is not something he finds pleasant. 

“Let me just check your head, alright? That was one heck of a fall, buddy.” Logan inwardly cringes at the nickname. He leans forward anyway and Patton carefully checks him over for any visible injuries. When he finds nothing he shoulders his bag off and shuffles through it, pulling out a flashlight. He looks at Logan’s eyes carefully, asking him a couple simple questions that he easily answers before Patton is sighing with relief. “Your heads probably fine. You really gave me a fright there for a second.” Patton chuckles but it’s filled with nerves. “Roll up your pant legs and I’ll bandage yer scrapes.” Patton says, back to rifling through his bag. 

Logan’s told him to sort it many times. He unzips his boots on the sides and pulls the ends of his slacks from them, rolling them up to see the damage on his legs. His knees are already beginning to bruise in places and blood trickles down from a couple scrapes. He grimaces at the injuries but he finds he’s more upset about how scuffed his boots are now. He’d taken such good care of them until this. Patton has cotton pads and rubbing alcohol out to clean the wounds. “You’ve fallen twice today, that’s more times than you’ve fallen the entire year.” Patton speaks up, likely using conversation as a distraction for the sting. 

It doesn’t work. Logan flinches but doesn’t make a sound. “It must have something to do with the trickster in these woods. I’m certain that is what happened to Roman and Virgil as well.” Logan responds. Patton hums as he pulls a handful of bandaids out of his pack. He places three on one knee and two on the other, each one a different pastel color. Logan raises an eyebrow. “Must you be so childish?” Logan asks but Patton only laughs. 

“It’s more fun this way! You’re lucky I left my kitten ones at the palace.” Patton teases to which Logan rolls his eyes. The healer packs up his supplies and pulls his backpack on to his shoulders before reaching a hand out to help the other. Logan takes it and he is hefted to his feet. “Did you sprain somethin?” Patton asks. Logan tests putting his wait on his feet and finds no pain other than in his knees. He shakes his head. He then takes a moment to look around where they’d stopped. There was an odd sense of familiarity to this part of the woods. Surely they’d been here before. 

“I have a strange feeling, well more of a hunch rather, that we’re walking in circles. More of this trickster’s games.” Logan says. He makes to take a step but thinks better of it, afraid he might fall again. Patton holds out his hand and Logan stares at it incredulously. 

“Maybe if we hold hands you won’t fall again!” Patton says. Logan can’t find any logic in that assumption, then again there wasn’t any behind him falling twice. He sighs and reaches out, placing his hand in Patton’s. The other’s smile widens and they start walking again together. Patton’s hand is incredibly warm and his skin is soft while Logan’s fingers feel cold. Logan can’t help but feel this is too close. They find a clearing and Patton stops, suggesting a small break as his throat is dry. Logan agrees and he takes off his pack and satchel, rolling his shoulders to try and relax a bit. His body has grown stiff and tense from his fall and sleeping on the forest floor. Patton has taken off his own pack, holding his water bottle and offering Logan’s to him. They walk towards each other when-  _ WOOSH _ !

Patton squeaks as suddenly his feet are no longer on the ground. The water bottles drop from his grasp as he’s scooped into the air, Logan alongside him. They’re thrown together, Logan’s chest pressed against Patton’s, reaching his arms out in front of him to catch himself, afraid he was falling again but only meeting net. They’re stuck… in a rope trap. 

Patton’s lanky legs are scrunched up, his feet pressed against the ropes that hold them. Logan’s legs fold underneath him so his weight rests on his knees, causing him to wince. He’s stuck between Patton’s legs, draped over him with his chin resting on Patton’s shoulder as he stares down at the ground now a good 6 feet below them and groans. He’s really starting to despise this quest. 

Patton chuckles nervously and Logan can feel it vibrate in his chest. Logan starts moving, resting his forearms on Patton’s chest when their eyes meet for the second time today. Patton is smiling, cheeks a light pink as he holds onto Logan’s bicep, not trusting the ropes to hold them especially when Logan is moving about. The shorter man however stares, shocked as he realizes their close proximity. If he had thought the hand holding was close, this was a different level. Logan can feel his ears growing warm and clears his throat. 

“I have a small pocket knife in my boot, the best way out of this is to cut the ropes higher up, that way there is less of a chance of one of us getting stuck. You’ll have to cut the rope, I won't be able to reach.” He says the last part begrudgingly as if he’s upset over the height Patton has on him. 

“No problem, leave it to me!” Patton responds happily. Logan makes to move again, the net swaying a bit and Patton’s grip on Logan’s arms tighten. Dark eyes look over the healer questioningly. Patton laughs nervously again and pulls back his grip to hold onto some of the ropes near his head. Logan sits up a little more, reaching down to his boot to the best of his ability despite the long legs currently in his way. Being this close makes his heart pound strangely and he isn’t sure he’s a fan. He manages to grab the pocket knife and smirks successfully. He holds it out to Patton who takes it and stares, unsure what to do. Logan reaches out his hand. 

“Grab my hand, I’ll help you sit up so you may reach.” Logan states. Patton grabs on without another word and yelps as he’s tugged foreword and into the other lap. Now Logan lays at the bottom of the net trap, finally with his weight off his knees, Patton straddling his waist. Somehow this is worse for his heart. He points up to the ropes Patton needs to cut.

“These ones?” The freckled man asks, grabbing on to a couple of the ropes near the top.

“Yes, it’s paramount that you go slow.” Logan replies. He receives a positive nod and then the sound of blade on rope. They’re stuck there for at least ten minutes if Logan’s inner clock was correct, before the last rope is cut. Logan predicts the moment it all gives way and lands on his feet, stumbling to grab Patton in time so he doesn’t fall. Silence surrounds them, Patton’s arms wrapped securely around Logan’s shoulders as the other holds his waist like the dip for a dance. They don’t move, frozen in time for a moment before everything rushes back to them and Logan stands, pulling them both to their feet. He releases Patton and takes a few steps back, glad to have his space back but also stuck on how warm Patton had felt when they were close. He clears his throat. “The others, we should keep looking. We’ll have to watch for trickster traps as we go on.” Logan says. 

Patton is picking up the previously dropped water bottles to place back in his pack. “Sounds good.” He responds, face still feeling warm. He always forgot how strong Logan actually was. They gather their things and start off further into the woods again. As they walk Logan’s brows furrow. He’s sure he recognizes this path for some reason. “Oh, well this is strange.” Patton speaks up and Logan tears his gaze away from the group of trees he swears he’s seen before. His eyes widen. Before them is their snuffed out campsite from the previous night. It takes another second for both of them before they look across the camp to find a disgruntled Prince and a snickering Virgil. 

“Where were you two?” Prince Roman asks, his voice as dramatic as always. Patton cheerfully strides through the campsite to the others. 

“Well we were off lookin for you, kiddo! I saw Virge run into the woods this morning, when we followed I guess we got all turned around.” Patton explains. Logan walks up behind him. 

“I believe the trickster here is playing with us.” Logan states. Roman huffs in response. 

“No doubt about that. I woke up in a tree!” He totally  _ doesn’t _ whine. Virgil is still holding back laughs. “Virgil climbed up to me like an idiot and got stuck.” Roman adds on at the end with a sideways glance. Virgil’s laughter stops abruptly and he glares at the Prince.

“Hey! That is so not what happened.” The shorter retaliate. Roman turns, smiling smugly despite the angry eyes tossed his way. Logan can’t help but think back to the days he was a young child and often found the prince stuck in trees barely above the ground. He doesn’t say anything though. 

“Well now that we’re all together again we should get a move on! What’s our next destination, Logan?” Patton asks, hands balled up into fists as he gestures excitedly. Logan pushes his surprisingly not broken glasses up his nose again. 

“We’ll head to the ports to catch a boat. It shouldn’t be too far. Since the morning has yet to pass, if we walk the rest of today we’ll get to the port town by nightfall.” Logan explains. He steps to the center of the campsite and looks up before pulling a neatly folded map from his pocket. He looks it over before turning to his left. “This way.” He says, pointing off into the distance. Virgil follows his gesture. He stares off into the woods and the obvious incline that begins in that general direction and holds back a groan. Roman heads over to Logan to alleviate him of his extra pack that he’d left earlier. 

Virgil steps up to Patton and into his peripheral vision to garner his attention. He’s fiddling with the string in his pocket once more. Patton smiles reassuringly and Virgil takes that as approval to talk. “Do you have any more pain medicine? And uh, water?” He asks nervously, voice quiet. He isn’t used to asking for things. Patton’s eyes widened at the realization that Virgil had been in pain all morning and the fact that none of them had eaten. He pulls off his pack.

“Of course kiddo!” He pulls a water bottle from the side pocket and gives it to him, to which Virgil graciously gulps down ⅓ of it. He’s then gifted to pills that he quickly swallows. The sooner the pain stops the better. Patton then proceeds to pull out an arm full of different sorts of breakfast bars. “Roman, Logan! Stacya packed me some bars for us, let’s eat on the way!” Patton announces. Roman’s attention is quickly gained at the mentions of food. 

“Thank goodness, I thought I was going to starve.” Roman says, looking over the food in Patton’s hands with indecision. Logan rolls his eyes. 

“Please Roman, don’t be foolish. It would take nearly a month for you to truly starve, it's far more likely you die from dehydration.” Logan says bluntly. To this Patton quickly shoves a water bottle into the prince’s hands. Virgil finds himself chuckling from where he stands apart from the group. Once Patton has sufficiently passed around food and water to everyone he puts everything left including trash back into his bag and pulls it onto his shoulders. They set out at last. Logan takes his side easily next to Roman ahead of them while Patton stays back with Virgil.

“So where  _ did _ you guys go?” Virgil asks, watching the ground as he walked. Patton snickers, staring at Logan’s back and thinking back to the colorful bandaids the man in front of him had hidden on his knees and then to the cut net still hanging somewhere in the woods. 

“We went in a bit of a circle while we were trying to find you. We didn’t mean to take so long we just got… a little hung up.” Patton says followed by a laugh. Virgil raises a brow, not sure what about that was so funny. They continue their chatter, up ahead Roman talks on and on to a half listening Logan. 

The day passes on. They make one stop for lunch and a break for their feet before they’re off again. The sun is starting to lower and their group has grown relatively silent save for the sweet humming coming from a golden eyed man. Patton leans over to whisper in Virgil’s ear.

“You know, it would do you some good to talk to him.” He says. Virgil tenses at that. Had he been caught smiling at the Prince’s soft singing. He avoids eye contact. 

“I don’t think so. He hates me. And if he doesn’t now, he will later.” Virgil says back. Patton frowns. He drops a hand onto Virgil’s head, ruffling his hair. 

“You don’t know that. Come on kiddo, you got this.” Virgil refuses to show the healer how much he enjoys the hair ruffling and shrugs him off. Patton reaches out and grabs the fabric of Logan’s sleeve. The man turns, slowing down to walk at Patton’s side, a silent question held in his eyes. Roman doesn’t seem to notice, eyes on the trees and birds above them. Without saying anything, Patton gives Virgil a little nudge, sending the man forward to where Logan had once stood. Virgil stumbles for a moment, catching Roman’s attention from the corner of his eye. Roman raises a brow as he looks to the new person beside him, looking over his shoulder to find Patton happily chatting at his advisor. He can’t help but smile. He knows the two of them get along and he can’t help but feel a sort of fondness over his two friends having time to become closer. Virgil beside him is glaring at his feet, hands in his pockets. Roman wonders if that’s what Patton wanted, to see two of his friends grow closer. He knew the fatherly figure was rather fond of the emo nightmare beside him, so he internally sighs and decides he’ll befriend him. For Patton and definitely not because he wants to. 

“You should try looking up instead of at the ground all the time. You miss out on the beauty of the world staring at your feet.” Roman says to garner the other’s attention. It seems to work as Virgil eyes him without turning his head. At first he doesn’t say anything but soon enough he lifts his head, brown eyes looking up at the tree tops. Roman almost double takes, with the sun reflecting in Virgil’s eyes, he swears he can see a sort of green color in his left eye. Roman blinks and shakes the thought away. It was likely the tree's reflection. 

“Can I… ask you something?” Virgil questions, eyes falling back to the ground as he steps over a subtle dip in the dirt. 

“Of course.” Roman responds easily, hands going to grip the straps of the bag he wore. 

“Why do Logan and Pat call you Roman?” The question wasn’t one Roman had really been expecting but the answer comes easily. Virgil wasn’t from his kingdom after all so it must seem strange. 

“You mean instead of something more dramatically formal?” He asks back, waving a hand dismissively at the idea of being referred to as ‘your highness’ pops into his head. Virgil hums affirmatively. 

“I thought you were into the whole dramatic thing, Princey.” Virgil chuckles, and Roman can’t help but roll his eyes despite the smirk on his face. 

“Yes well, it’s a sign of trust really. I grew up with Logan by my side since we were born so when we became of age and he began referring to me more formally it felt… rather distant. So I told him to just call me Roman. Of course that nerd refused at first.” Roman smiled fondly at the memory. “So whenever he called me anything else, I corrected him, and he does  _ not _ enjoy being corrected. He gave in rather quickly.” Roman said triumphantly. He pulled his hands away from his bag and held them out in front of him, gesturing wildly as he continued. “Now as for Patton, he was much easier. Logan and I met Patton just a small while before I turned 13. We got along swimmingly from the moment we met, though I used to tease him all the time. Patton has never been fond of formal language, I don’t think he’s ever called me anything but Roman, even when the servants told him it wasn’t proper.” Virgil found he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the Prince. His eyes shined differently when he was telling stories, it was incredibly captivating. 

“Trust, huh?” Virgil mostly said to himself. Roman stared off into the distance, his hands falling to his sides, one resting on the top of his sword at his waist. 

“They’re my most precious friends.” He said softly. The gentle moment seemed to break as Roman glanced to Virgil, their eyes connecting. Virgil didn’t look away. “You know, you could call me Roman too. Instead of Princey, if you’d like.” He said. A warmth invaded Virgil’s chest instantly, eyes widening as the strength to look back at the ground returned and his cheeks flushed. Was this Roman trusting him?

“I’ll think about it. But don’t get your hopes up, Princey.” Virgil said, tacking on the nickname if only to watch as Roman’s smile morphed into a pout. They fall into a quiet silence for only a few moments before Roman speaks up. 

“What about you? You had a friend, yes? On the other side?” Roman asks. Virgil’s mind flashes back to story books read by moonlight. To gentle shoulder touches and sarcastic quips to show affection. He thinks about skin covered in scales and gloves to cover them on his hands. His chest aches suddenly, more than the throb in his back. 

“I do, I uh… miss him. Probably.” Virgil responds, a breath stuttering past his lips with admission. “But I’m going to get him out of there. I’ll cure his curse and bring him over the border.” Roman could see the determination in his eyes. 

“You must be incredibly close. Does he work in the palace? You mentioned earlier that you tended to the gardens.” Roman asks. Virgil nods, a little out of breath as the ground beneath them begins to steepen into a hill.

“Yeah, he uh… actually he has the same job as Logan.” Roman’s face contorts into something instantly shocked and concerned. 

“He works for the king? Beside him?” Virgil realizes that might not be the best thing to have said. He tries to fix it.

“Well yes, but he never listens, and Janus  _ tries  _ to help him be better but it all goes in one ear out the other with that guy. I swear, he’s not a bad person.” Virgil says all in one breath, trying to disperse any tension he had just created. Roman looks tense but nods. 

“If you say he’s good, then I believe you. I can’t say I would trust him at first though. I knew him, the dark lands so called king, and no one born on his land can be trusted, I’ll tell you that.” Roman says, almost sneers. Virgil can’t help but flinch. “But if this friend of yours grew up with you, he must have some sort of good in his heart.” Virgil looks away, his hair falling into his face. 

“Y-Yeah, for sure.” He mutters. Roman looks to Virgil again, realizing he might’ve been too aggressive. He opens his mouth to say  _ something _ when he’s interrupted. 

“Look! There’s the town!” Patton exclaimed, pushing past Roman to point. They stood at the top of a hill, a mile down was the beginnings of a town that sat peacefully by the water with cobblestone streets and market vendors lining them. The buildings were beautiful and the roofs were all different shades of brown and red. The town itself was not very big but almost a hundred boats were docked along the harbor. Including a rather large one that was currently boarding passengers. 

“That’s our ship. It will take us close enough to Dreamur’s Island where we’ll take a smaller vessel to the shore. It departs later tonight.” Logan said, gesturing to the larger ship. Roman smirked and pointed to the town.

“Then we must be swift! Onward, friends!” He shouted dramatically. Patton cheered behind him while Logan sighed and Virgil groaned. 

They walked through the town trying not to get distracted by any of the market vendors shouting things they were selling. Virgil didn’t have a hard time with this, his brain reeling just with the amount of people around him. The towns in the dark lands were never so crowded. There was also the added bonus that his pain meds were wearing off. Virgil stuck close to Logan, finding comfort in knowing that the serious man would be able to catch him if anything happened. Despite Logan’s distaste for human contact and close proximity, he allowed it as Virgil seemed to sway on his feet. The shorter man crossed his arms over his chest, fists balling up into the loose fabric at his sides. ‘ _ Fuck, it’s getting worse _ ’ He thought as they walked. He wanted nothing more than to stop moving and just curl in on himself. 

Logan eyes Patton when a whimper slips from Virgil’s lips, concerned but not willing to voice it. Deep down they know what’s about to happen. Logan finds that while he’s worried for Virgil physically, he hadn’t taken the time to truly think how Roman would react. He hopes however it happens, it isn’t too dramatic. Patton steps up to Virgil’s other side and the three of them try to walk a bit faster, Roman leading the way, looking over his shoulder every now and then to his friends.

“Is it his injury? It’s getting worse, isn’t it.” Roman asks over his shoulder. Patton’s brows are furrowed in worry but he nods. 

“We should get to the boat as soon as possible so I can check it out.” Patton says. Virgil hadn’t noticed how heavily he was beginning to lean into Logan until the stronger pushed back against him to support him. Instantly Virgil stood a little straighter, taking his weight back. 

“I-I’m fine, I just need to sit down.” Virgil says, voice obviously strained. His body feels much too warm even as the sun is setting on the horizon. Patton reaches out to help him and Virgil flinches away. “Just.. don’t touch me, please.” He says, his plea barely above a whisper. Patton nods frantically and hovers around him instead. Roman, Patton and Logan have formed a small triangle around him to keep anyone from bumping into him as they walk through the crowd. 

At last, they make it to the dock where the ship lay and wait. Virgil’s knees feel weak as Logan and Patton approach one of the crew members at the ramp leading aboard. Roman stays near the injured. Logan shows the papers they have to board and Patton explains that they’ll need a quiet and vacant place to tend to their friend. Virgil wants to rip his clothes apart, the fabric feeling abrasive on his back as something desperately pushes against his skin. Tears prick the corners of his eyes as he wobbles a bit. They’re almost there, then he’ll give in, but now he struggles to keep what he knows is coming at bay. Finally they’re boarding and Virgil stumbles forward as quickly as his unstable legs can take him. 

Patton ushers Virgil into a large room below deck where they all toss their bags to the floor. The room is empty save for a couple lit lanterns to provide light. Patton sets his bag down and opens it, looking for the medical supplies that he thinks he’ll need while Logan tries to move Roman to the other side of the room. Virgil tries to make it over to Patton but something  _ tears _ and a scream rips from his throat as he collapses to his knees. 

“Virgil!” Patton shouts, but he can’t hear him. He can’t breathe. Logan holds Roman back with one of his arms.

“Stay back, Patton needs space to assist him.” Logan says, his voice tight. Roman’s features contort into a frustrated expression but he stops shoving. Patton is on his knees in front of Virgil instantly, hands out, hovering, unsure. Virgil is bent over at the waist, hands balled into fists on the wooden floor, drops splashing near his hands. Patton’s heart aches as he realizes they’re tears. 

“L-Let’s get your jacket off kiddo.” Patton says, voice soft and filled with concern. Virgil can’t move, too scared and in pain. He wants to pull away, he doesn’t want anyone to touch him, he wants  _ Janus _ . He sucks in a deep breath once he realizes he’d been holding it and Patton’s gentle hands push his shoulders to sit him up. He chokes on a sob as the fire in his back grows again. “I know, I know, I’m gonna help, but we need your jacket off.” Patton says, trying to keep his voice soothing yet stern. He pushes the jacket off his shoulders and lets it fall to his wrists before pulling it from him completely. Virgil can feel Roman and Logan’s eyes on him and he wishes more than anything that they would turn away. ‘ _ They’re finally going to see you for the monster that you are. _ ’ He whimpers at the thought. 

Patton drags his bag over and makes his way behind Virgil, who’s slumped back over again. The back of Virgil’s purple shirt is stained completely with red, soaked and sticking to him as well as the new appendages beginning to protrude from his back. Roman’s eyes widen at the sight and steps back. 

“W-What is that?” He asks, covering his mouth. No one answers him. Patton lifts the back of Virgil’s shirt up and shudders at the sight. It looks so incredibly painful. Virgil grits his teeth and his nails scrape against the floor as his shirt goes over his head and falls down his arms in a wet heap before him. The blood from the fabric spreads over his arms and stains the wood beneath them. On his back the tips of his wings have surfaced through two slits on his back. The redness and bits of needle like quills going down his spine have shifted into raw skin raised slightly where Patton assumes more feathers will grow. The wings haven’t fully come through yet and he isn’t sure if he should assist or not. Virgil is shaking, body wracked with sobs. “Is no one going to tell me what’s happening!?” Roman shouts and Logan tears his eyes away to look at him. 

“Do not yell! This situation is delicate, I will explain later.” Logan responds and Roman’s jaw drops, astonished at the sudden outburst from his advisor. Patton moves away from Virgil’s back, to spare his heart from the gruesome scene as well as to grab supplies. He digs a metal bowl from his large backpack and a couple water bottles. While he’s gathering his things. Virgil lets out a blood curdling scream and Patton turns to watch as the wings burst from his back, blood splattering the place he’d just been. It looked like a crime scene. Patton gasped, Virgil’s breaths coming out quick and ragged. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he groaned after each hiccup. Patton looked to Logan, pleading silently for help. 

“Right, you must wash the fledgling wings carefully. Only use your hands and water. Use disinfectant at the breach points and then a rag and water for the blood on any of his human skin.” Logan moves forward and looks over the new anatomy of Virgil’s back. “Here,” He points to a lump at the base of Virgil’s wings. “This looks to be his oil glands, do not clean this no matter what.” Patton looks to where Logan is pointing and nods before grabbing his disinfectant and a rag for later. The healer makes his way back to his patient, uncapping one of the water bottles and taking a deep breath before slowly starting to pour it over the naked wings. Logan stands and turns to Roman who continues to stare on in horror. Not just at Virgil, but Patton and Logan as well. The look in his eyes causes something to stir in Logan’s gut. 

Virgil struggles to breathe, trying to focus on anything else besides the immense pain and the fear. Roman sees him, he knows. Patton is afraid. He can recognize it in his eyes. He bites his lip, desperately trying not to hyperventilate but his head already feels foggy. The cold water on his new appendages feels a bit soothing and his everything is throbbing. Suddenly the feeling of metal meets his chin. He opens his eyes that he’d squeezed shut before and looks up to see Roman standing before him, sword drawn, the tip pressing his chin up. “You lied to me.” He snarls and Virgil’s heart stops. His lips part but nothing comes out. Logan takes a step forward to say something, anything, but Roman carries on. “I trusted you and you were lying to me the whole time. You… you’re a monster. I should kill you right now.” Virgil begs for forgiveness with his eyes but the hatred that swirls in Roman’s is too intense. Logan places a hand on Roman’s shoulder but he’s shaken off. Then Patton speaks up.

“Lower your sword. You may be the Prince but  _ I _ am the Royal Healer and this  _ man _ is my patient. You have no authority here. Not until I deem him healed enough for whatever royal punishment you decide to inflict.” The harsh tone Patton uses startles Roman enough that he lowers his weapon. His jaw drops in surprise for merely a moment before he sheathes his sword and snarls. 

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, monster, or how you’ve managed to turn my friends against me. But we will settle this,” Roman looks between Patton’s stern gaze and Logan’s emotionless one. “At another time.” With that he turns on his heel and exits the room. Everyone is silent. Logan looks to Patton whose expression has softened and then to the door. 

“Don’t worry, Logan, I’ve got this. Go after him, calm him down. The kiddo just needs an explanation.” Patton says, voice obviously tired and laced with a sort of regret. Logan nods and follows after their prince. Virgil’s head finally drops from where he had previously been looking up. ‘ _ Monster _ ’. “I’m so sorry, Virge. I didn’t think he would react like that.” Patton apologizes, pouring more water over his wings, the blood slowly pouring down and being soaked up on his lower back where Patton holds a rag, careful not to touch it against any of his new skin. Virgil holds his breath as long as he can before it stutters out of him followed by a waterfall of tears. ‘ _ I ruined it. I knew I would but it hurts more than I thought. _ ’ Patton can’t seem to think of what to say. He’d been wrong before, how does he go about reassuring him now. 

So he lets him cry. The room is filled with the sounds of splashing water and broken sobs until Virgil’s throat is raw. He’s not sure he’s ever cried that hard in his life. The sobs turn to whimpers and held back screams when Patton goes about disinfecting the cuts along his back. The naked wings look strange on his back, the skin a dark red even after the blood is washed away. Once his back is as clean as he can get it, Patton moves around to Virgil’s front where he cleans the blood from his arms. 

“I’m so sorry kiddo.” He apologizes, wiping a clean damp rag against his cheek and brushing his bangs from his face. Virgil sniffles and closes his eyes, too worn out to keep them open any longer. The cuts where his wings sprouted are still sluggishly bleeding and the area around them is in complete disarray. Blood and dirty rags litter the floor. “Try to get some sleep, come here.” Patton scoots back to lean his back up against a wall and then proceeds to help Virgil lay down with his head on his lap. This way he can still reach his back to clean up the blood, it seems it will stop soon. Patton rinses the blood from his hand with a damp rag before placing it in Virgil’s hair, hoping to soothe him. The winged man drifts off into a dreamless sleep quickly. Patton isn’t surprised. After walking all day and then crying his heart out while in so much pain. He wouldn’t be surprised if Virgil slept for a week, even though he knows he’ll have to wake him the next morning. As the room falls into a tense silence, Patton sighs, heart uncertain about the future that awaits them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO  
> that was intense... sorry?  
> Do leave a comment on what you thought about this chapter  
> Did your heart break?  
> Was it too long? I'd love to know  
> Big thanks again to my beta reader Prince~  
> Till next time!  
> -Sugarcon


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